The tenant of a stretch of public land on the Victoria Lines has appealed the judgment which had absolved Times of Malta of defamation in his regard.

Charles Foca said in his appeal that an article highlighting the illegally-built private terrace on public land on the Victoria Lines near Rabat was defamatory.

He said the Magistrates’ Court had failed to consider the part of the article where it was claimed that someone had threatened tourists. He said that, despite not being named, the article gave the impression that it was he who had threatened the tourists.

Through his lawyers Edward Woods and Carlos Bugeja, Mr Foca claimed that the first court had given “unmerited emphasis” to the fact that the public land had been illegally misappropriated and had failed to give due consideration to the damage to his reputation when the impression was given that he had threatened tourists. He therefore called on the Appeals Court to award him damages.