Police to inspect RTK journalist’s computer in e-mails inquiry

The police are investigating how e-mails exchanged between Labour leader Joseph Muscat and Church radio journalist Sabrina Agius ended up in the media.

Sources said the police had already spoken to a number of people and would be examin-ing Ms Agius’s computer at the RTK radio station in Blata l-Bajda, from where the correspondence is believed to have been taken.

The police media relations unit confirmed that investigations have started after Ms Agius made an official request to the Police Commissioner asking him to investigate “computer misuse”.

Both Ms Agius and Dr Muscat have said that the e-mails were taken illegally because they never granted their permission for them to be published.

The e-mails, copies of which were released by the Nationalist Party’s media arm Media Link, were in their personal accounts.

In the e-mails, Dr Muscat tells Ms Agius that the party “needs” her in the position she occupied at RTK. When she told him she was considering resigning, Dr Muscat urged her to stick to her job.

Media Link head of news Nathaniel Attard justified publication of the e-mail exchange saying it was in the public interest.

The issue came to light last week when Dr Muscat raised the matter in Parliament. He asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives to investigate the matter.

Ms Agius was suspended from RTK the following day and is facing internal disciplinary proceedings.