The editor of the Labour weekly KullHadd, Felix Agius, has been convicted of criminal libel in a case instituted by Richard Cachia Caruana, Malta’s former permanent representative to the EU.
He was fined €250 after a court found that it was clear that a story entitled Proceduri fuq insistenza ta’ RCC (January 20, 2001) lacked serious journalism and was clearly intended to harm Mr Cachia Caruana by attributing to him facts which were not true.
The court also criticised the defence for being absent for many court sittings, observing that 29 sittings had been held in which absolutely nothing was done. The accused had not presented any evidence to back his claims and did not even testify.
The newspaper had claimed that the police took action against MaltaToday editor Saviour Balzan and writer Sharon Ellul Bonici over an article in their newspaper, only after insistence by Mr Cachia Caruana.
During the proceedings police officers insisted no one had pressured them to take any action.