Richard Cachia Caruana. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and government spokesman Kurt Farrugia were yesterday ordered to pay €2,000 over libellous allegations made about Malta’s former ambassador to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana.

In May 2012, Mr Bartolo claimed during a political debate on One Radio that Mr Cachia Caruana used the secret service against those who did not agree with him.

Mr Farrugia was, at the time, the registered editor of One Radio.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Francesco Depasquale, heard past and serving heads of the Security Service testify that Mr Cachia Caruana had never contacted them and had never used the service to harm anybody.

Mr Farrugia and Mr Bartolo argued the comments were not libellous, as Mr Cachia Caruana was a public person and they were based on a “value judgement” to be classified as fair comment.

But the court ruled that the comments were substantially untrue so it ordered Mr Farrugia and Mr Bartolo to pay Mr Cachia Caruana €2,000 in damages.