Columnist charged with defamation

Columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia was twice charged in court yesterday following two complaints of alleged defamation made to the police in March, one by One News journalist Charlon Gouder and the other by Robert Musumeci.

The complaint by Mr Musumeci was made after a series of blogs written by Ms Caruana Galizia about him and his partner Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera earlier this year.

A first case against the columnist was initiated by the magistrate and got underway in March. The other two cases were awaiting a date for the first hearing.

The case initiated by Mr Musumeci was deferred.

In the other case, before Magistrate Edwina Grima, Mr Gouder testified that on the day when Mrs Caruana Galizia was charged with defaming the magistrate, the columnist objected to him being inside the court room.

After the sitting was over, Mrs Caruana Galizia allegedly passed a comment to the One News camera crew who were following her as she left the court house. Mr Gouder said he felt defamed by the comment and by a blog entry posted by the columnist in the afternoon.

Ms Caruana Galizia is pleading not guilty to the charges.

Lawyers Andy Ellul and Vince Micallef appeared for Mr Gouder.