The editor of Labour’s weekly newspaper Kullħadd has been fined €250 for defaming Richard Cachia Caruana, Malta’s ex-permanent representative to the EU.

Mr Cachia Caruana initiated criminal libel proceedings against editor Felix Agius over an article entitled Proċeduri Fuq Insistenza ta’ RCC (Proceedings initiated on the insistence of RCC), published on January 20, 2001.

Magistrate Francesco Depas-quale ruled the article lacked serious journalism and was clearly intended to harm Mr Cachia Caruana by attributing untrue facts to him.

The article claimed the police had taken action against Malta Today editor Saviour Balzan and writer Sharon Ellul Bonici – over an article about Meinrad Calleja – on Mr Cachia Caruana’s insistence.

Mr Cachia Caruana had linked his 1994 assassination attempt to the resignation of Brigadier Maurice Calleja, whose son Meinrad was caught drug trafficking.

Police witnesses said they had called Mr Balzan and Ms Ellul Bonici to the police station to speak to them and no action was taken against them.

George Grech, who headed the police at the time, said he had been asked to look into the matter by the Attorney General’s office.

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