Claudia Calleja
Police asked to probe e-mail leak
Sabrina Agius
Church radio journalist Sabrina Agius has asked the police to investigate the way personal e-mail correspondence between her and Labour leader Joseph Muscat was taken from her computer and distributed to the media.
Ms Agius, through her lawyers, filed a formal request to the Police Commissioner asking him to investigate “computer misuse” after both she and Dr Muscat said they had not granted their permission for the e-mail exchange to go public.
“I hope that, as a result of this investigation, it will emerge who carried out what is ultimately a crime,” the journalist said, adding that she preferred not to give further comments at this stage.
The correspondence, which was made public by the Nationalist media, 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 join The Times or state 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.
IT experts, who spoke to The Sunday Times, said it was likely that Ms Agius left her Gmail page open on her work computer while she was out and someone printed her exchange with the Labour leader.
Dr Muscat raised a breach of privilege in Parliament last week claiming that the private e-mail exchange between him and Ms Agius landed in the hands of the PN media as a result of computer hacking because neither he nor Ms Agius had released the correspondence. Media Link head of news Nathaniel Attard justified publication of the e-mail exchange saying it was in the public interest.
Ms Agius was suspended from RTK the following day and is facing internal disciplinary proceedings.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi questioned why Dr Muscat took the issue to Parliament rather than resort to the police. He accused Dr Muscat of choosing not to refer to the police because he wanted to divert attention away from the content of the e-mails.
Arthur Azzopardi and Emmanuel Mallia filed Ms Agius’s application.
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15 Comments
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Angus Black
Oct 26th 2011, 20:24
Was Sabrina prompted by Dr Gonzi's question?
A little late, perhaps?
Liza Zarb
Oct 26th 2011, 20:03
fl-emails m'hem xejn li jhammar wicc Joseph Muscat. Ghandu ihammar wicc minn ghamel dan l-agir.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Oct 29th 2011, 08:18
Jekk ghalik m'hemm xejn li jhammar wicc Joseph Muscat f'dawk l-Emails, jew ma fihmthomx jew ma tridx tifimhom. Eletturi ohra ragonevoli Maltin jistennew imgieba ahjar minn dawk li jridu jmexxu l-gvern taghhom.
Peppi Borg
Oct 26th 2011, 18:18
There is nothing which can put shame on Dr.Muscat. The e mails were leaked not stolen and this is what Dr.Gonzi should be investigating. Joseph Muscat did not try to plant anyone at pbs or The Times.
John Zammit
Oct 26th 2011, 17:52
There is difference between leaking and stealing.If I receive an e-mail i am free to do what I like with it but to steal it is like entering a one's house and take any valuable thing I find. Further it is against the law (the data protection act ) to spy on fellow citizen.Dr Muscat never tried to plant any body in any news room and what is wrong with a worker asking advice how she/he should act when he is not treated as supposed.
lilly vella
Oct 26th 2011, 17:27
the deceiving heading mentioning 'email leak' and not theft
Joseph Muscat dis not try to 'plant' anyone at PBS or Times of Malta
investigations should give results as case is being investigated by Speaker and Police.
fl-emails m'hem xejn li jhammar wicc Joseph Muscat
Lawrence Gonzi should have questioned how emails were stolen
Mr Victor Fiorini
Oct 26th 2011, 15:16
This farce has to stop.
Publishing correspondance like that is in the public interest and anyone who gets hold of it has a moral obligation to leak it. This is not a private matter. It involves our opposition leader who gave away his right for privacy the day he got elected as leader.
Whether the means to get this information was lawful or not is secondary.
vincent a galea
Oct 26th 2011, 10:06
If I read properly, Ms Agius's e-mail exchanges were being carried out during her work at RTK and on her office PC... Was this intelligent of her?
If I were Ms Agius, I would just thump my chest and say, "MEA CULPU, MEA CULPA, MEA MAXIMA CULPA!"
A. Mizzi
Oct 26th 2011, 09:45
e-mail leak? E-MAIL LEAK?
FAR FROM IT..... that is an intrusion on privacy! No one can feel safe anymore even in sending a simple e-mail!
This is what it's all about!
If there are no scruples in intrusion in the private affairs of Dr. Joseph Muscat, what scruples and ethics are used by Big Brother on the common citizen who is not only WATCHING you, BUT LISTENING TO YOUR CONVERSATIONS AND HAS AGENTS EVEN GOING THROUGH YOUR CORRESPONDENCE, WHICH COULD BE Dr. Joseph Muscat or even your partner, a family member!
It is just a big ploy to scare people from corresponding with Dr. Muscat who truly cares about what the people feel and is sympathic with what the people are feeling and going through!
STEALING this information is just not right, one feels intruded upon like having an intruder braking in and looking through your most personal items! Anyone who had his house broken into, knows the feeling AND WANT THESE CRIMINALS BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!
Giovann Demartino
Oct 26th 2011, 13:49
Imiss jiehu ghalih Cyrus u jerga' jmur lura mnejn gie!
Mr Hans Borg
Oct 26th 2011, 08:38
This is a clear case of theft.
In your heading however you choose to use the word 'leak' which as you well know is a totally different matter. You can fool some people for some of the time but you cannot fool the people all the time!
Please respect your readers' intelligence.
Steve M. Engerer
Oct 26th 2011, 14:51
You can fool some people for some of the time but you cannot fool the people all the time!
Are you referring the above comment to Joseph Muscat? I guess so!!
JOSEPH VELLA
Oct 26th 2011, 08:13
So rightful enough hacking must be condemnd. But isn't betraying your employer a crime too?
Ramon Casha
Oct 26th 2011, 10:47
"But isn't betraying your employer a crime too?"
Not since slavery was abolished.
Adrian E. Camilleri
Oct 26th 2011, 13:25
How very right you are Joseph! Why has not her employer complained of this misuse of office equipment whilst at work for example? I must admith though that the hacking issue is worrying as well! Interesting to follow!