Claudia Calleja
Radio journalist laments ‘unfair and illegal’ publication of e-mails
Journalist Sabrina Agius.
Church radio journalist Sabrina Agius has described the publication of private e-mail exchanges between herself and Labour leader Joseph Muscat as “unfair and illegal”.
It was the first comment made by Ms Agius after she was suspended from RTK radio pending disciplinary proceedings after the exchange was published and the contents known.
Dr Muscat yesterday insisted that the e-mails had been hacked and not leaked.
“Neither of us gave permission for it to be published... I am sure this is a case of hacking... This is a clear case of theft,” he insisted, adding that he would leave it up to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to decide on the matter.
He said he would reveal information he had if asked to do so by the Speaker. He did not elaborate.
Dr Muscat first made the hacking allegation in Parliament on Wednesday when he raised a breach of privilege complaint after a journalist from Net News asked him about the email exchange.
Media Link head of news Nathaniel Attard justified publication of the e-mail exchange on the basis of their public interest.
The correspondence showed Dr Muscat telling Ms Agius that the party “needs” her in the position she occupied at RTK, though he also expressed the wish that she joined The Times or national broadcaster PBS.
When she told him she was considering resigning, Dr Muscat urged her to stick to her job. She also told him he could give her tip-offs for stories.
Asked whether he believed he had acted unethically in what he said in the e-mails, Dr Muscat yesterday dodged the question saying: “What I think is that what was surely unethical was stealing those e-mails.”
“I surely did not plant Ms Agius at RTK. I surely did not speak to anyone so that she is employed at The Times or PBS,” he said, adding that the management of the three media houses could confirm this.
The government has denied hacking and pointed out that the e-mails were on Ms Agius’s gmail account and Dr Muscat’s josephmuscat.com account, not gov.mt. The state IT agency, Mita, categorically excluded that Dr Muscat’s gov.mt account had been hacked.
Commenting about this, Dr Muscat said yesterday he could not understand Mita’s reaction because no one had implied it was involved in any way.
A Labour Party spokesman later described Dr Muscat’s relationship with Ms Agius as a “long-term friendship – nothing more” adding that the hacking was “part of a political vendetta of the worst kind”.
The spokesman said Dr Muscat regularly corresponded with journalists from various newsrooms.
“The fact that a (former) Net journalist (reference to Josianne Camilleri) is head of news at RTK could be considered as planting of a journalist. Having publicly-paid journalists at PBS (reference to Peppi Azzopardi) to coach Nationalist Party politicians (reference to Mr Azzopardi’s admission that he gave tips to MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando on how to face former Labour leader Alfred Sant) in the midst of an electoral campaign could be considered as having journalists in strategic positions...,” he said.
“Or a journalist who has a record for being unbalanced on state TV and is given a couple of programmes a week (reference to Lou Bondi and his programme Bondìplus) can be considered as biased or manipulating journalists
“These are facts that happened and are still happening. That is what can be called planting of journalists not encouraging someone to keep her job or apply for jobs at PBS or The Times.”
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joseph muscat
Oct 25th 2011, 18:59
Believe it or the nationalists are on the defence they being hurt with something.
Tony Agius
Oct 23rd 2011, 12:56
It will be very interesting to know why does Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party need Sabrina to remain at RTK , and what for? Was it to spread the word of Jesus? or to spread the word of Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party ? and to block other things that are not to glorify the Labour Party ?
Carlo Borg
Oct 23rd 2011, 12:03
Mela sewwa!!!!! Jaghmel il-hazin Joseph Muscat u l-gurnalista u il-laburisti iwehhlu fil-PN. Mur gibkom fil-gvern lilkom kif teqilbu id-dinja ta taht fuq - ghal hazin.
U dwar il-PBS xi tridu tghidu? Mela insejthu meta il-PBS kien immexxi minn nies li huma mazghulin mill-partit Laburista. Liema kien dak il-partit li qaccat lin-Nazzjonalisti minn gewwa l-PBS u tefa skoss nies Laburisti. Taf xnaf nghid li tieghu kulhadd jinsieh u taraw ta haddiehor biss.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Oct 22nd 2011, 14:39
"Church radio journalist Sabrina Agius has described the publication of private e-mail exchanges between herself and Labour leader Joseph Muscat as “unfair and illegal”.
We have heard that before. What we want to know is: "Are the contents true or not?".
The press has the right and the duty to disclose possible abuse and unethical behaviour by such a high public official as the leader of the opposition party and a prospective future prime minister . The media should be protected from having to disclose its whistleblower source whenever the public good is concerned.
Once more:
Are the contents of the emails true or not?
Are they correctly attributed to Joseph Muscat and to an LP "mole" planted in the RTK radio?
Were they discussing similar subversive penetration of The Times and PBS news rooms?
Answers please.
Mario Grima
Oct 22nd 2011, 19:07
Please immediately reply to Sherlock Holmes also known as Dr. Saliba. Perhaps he will stop writing the same nonsense, which he has been repeating for these last 3 days.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Oct 22nd 2011, 21:34
@ Mario Grima.
Instead of urging others why don't YOU do the obvious and why don't YOU answer my rhetorical questions?
THIS Sherlock Holmes already knows the answers to all three qustions and those answers are a resounding YES, YES and YES unless the Muscat/Agius conspirators deign to add something!
Francis Saliba M.D.
Oct 23rd 2011, 10:27
@ Mario Grima.
Don't beg that someone else replies immediately to my questions that remain unanswered for the past three days. Don't be lazy, get a move on and answer them yourself because your betters choose not to answer.
Let me give you a tip. They do not answer because everyone with a trace of grey matter between his ears knows for sure that the answer to all three questions would be a deafening "YES".
Mr Peter Vella
Oct 22nd 2011, 12:32
The more Agius and Joseph Muscat make wild baseless accusations about the imaginary "hacking" the more they highlight the fact that they are trying to divert attention away from the contents of the published emails.
Whatever they say some fact are cannot be disputed:
1. Muscat was not using a government server to send his emails
2. Agius was using the RTK server, and as her employers they had every right to view her emails
3. Joseph Muscat shows an inexcusable lack of foresight when he put down certain things in writing. This is not so surprising as he already showed lack of foresight when he opposed Malta's entry into the EU.
This is no hacking scandal. It is further proof if ever one was needed that Joseph Muscat is not ready and does not merit to be Malta's PM.
j brincat
Oct 22nd 2011, 11:11
@Antoine Vella
Quote: "Joseph Muscat is struggling to ward off criticism but this episode has, of course, caused him irremediable harm. He is with his back to the wall on this issue and his attacks on Lou Bondi and others appear increasingly empty and shallow".
And how is Gonzi's back faring with all the arrows coming his way from revolting PN MPs?
As if it was Dr Muscat who employed Ms Sabrina at RTK. By the way do you by any chance know who owns RTK whether it is still the Church or the PN?
(jb)
F Goodwin
Oct 22nd 2011, 10:46
"The government has denied hacking and pointed out that the e-mails were on Ms Agius’s gmail account and Dr Muscat’s josephmuscat.com account, not gov.mt. The state IT agency, Mita, categorically excluded that Dr Muscat’s gov.mt account had been hacked."
So his other email address, which was not remotely involved in this scandal, was not hacked. Good to know?
Charles Zammit
Oct 22nd 2011, 10:29
What has she to complain about ? A spy / traitor comes to mind , What about loyalty and trust to the employer paying your wages in good faith ?
Antoine Vella
Oct 22nd 2011, 10:04
Joseph Muscat is struggling to ward off criticism but this episode has, of course, caused him irremediable harm. He is with his back to the wall on this issue and his attacks on Lou Bondi and others appear increasingly empty and shallow.
It has become clear that Labour's animosity towards Bondi is not because he's biased (as they claim he is) but because he's not biased in favour of the PL.
Why did the PL need Sabrina Agius in the RTK newsroom? Need her for what?
Ramon Casha
Oct 22nd 2011, 10:21
You could equally ask why did PN want (and get) former Net News insider into the RTK newsroom? Was it sheer coincidence that, after Agius started an employment discrimination case against RTK for passing over her in favour of the Net News journalist, Net News found themselves in possession of her private communication?
It is not Muscat who was caused irreparable harm from this episode. It is those who benefited from a criminal activity to rid themselves of someone they disagreed with.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Oct 22nd 2011, 12:43
And what about the guy running PBS? Isn't he too from the Nationalist Party stables? It seems the PN has already managed to plant its stooges in the so-called independent media.
Mr Michael Debono
Oct 22nd 2011, 09:54
Revealing the contents of e-mails is rantamount to revealing the contents of a telegram. No difference. If government telegrams were to be divulged it would mean an extraordinary abuse, that means spying.. Thisis true even in the case of the fact that the contents are private matters and a fortiory if they contain references to government policy.
According to certain writers matters of public importance must be published without being accused of abuse or spying.
Angus Black
Oct 22nd 2011, 13:30
I suppose you regard this as a 'private matter' when the plot here was to influence public opinion which may have affected your own future?
Is it not in the public's interest to know the goings on of a possible future PM ? If this was purely a private matter between two flirting persons, would the e-mails have attracted so much attention? It is the duo's respective positions which is important here and which, at a minimum will embarrass Joseph but cost Sabrina her job.
No, this is not a trivial matter, it is clearly a malicious way of turning RTK into yet another part of the Labour propaganda machine behind the people's back and a devious way by Sabrina of using her position and RTK's equipment to go against the station's policy for personal gain.
The Labour Party does not leave a stone unturned in its efforts to embarrass government members, at any level, and that is OK, but turn the tables around and they cry foul. What a bunch of hypocrites!
Victor Laiviera
Oct 22nd 2011, 08:48
A brilliant exposé of PN hypocrisy. They pack PBS with PN hard-liners paid put of public funds, they give a company hostile to the opposition a monopoly of current affair programs on public broadcasting and then they pretend to be horrified at the alleged "planting" (which is no planting at all) of a journalist in RTK.
Truly incredible.