Former It-Torca editor Aleks Farrugia has been acquitted of libel after a a court ruled that a story about a controversial arraignment was “substantially correct”. 

The newspaper had reported in August 2013 that Inspector Elton Taliana knew that Darryl Luke Borg had been remanded in custody after being charged by mistake but did nothing to alert his superiors and make amends. 

Mr Borg, 27, had been arrested in connection with a hold-up at a Birkirkara shop following an investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department. A few days later, however, another person, Roderick Grech, had admitted to the crime in a separate investigation. That investigation was led by Inspector Taliana, who at the time was stationed at the Birkirkara district.

The incident had sparked controversy, to the point that the police commissioner at the time, Peter Paul Zammit, had launched an inquiry and a separate probe by the police board to establish who had been at fault.

Mr Taliana had opened libel proceedings against It-Torca after feeling aggrieved by a story published on August 13, 2013, which said that he had been aware of the mistake but did nothing.

In its decision, the court presided by Magistrate Francesco Depasquale noted that both inquiries had concluded that there had been a “serious” lack of communication within the police force.

It noted that even though Mr Taliana had arrested the right man, he had not communicated this to his superiors, despite being aware that another person had been charged over the same case and consequently unfairly jailed.

Mr Borg was only released when Inspector Taliana told his superiors that a court had found Mr Grech guilty of the same crime, Magistrate Depasquale pointed out.

Consequently, the court ruled that the facts of the story were “substantially correct” and that it was the result of investigative journalism which had every right to inform the public on issues involving public figures, in this case a police inspector.