An ex-editor of GWU daily l-orizzont has been ordered to pay a man and his daughter €5,000 in libel damages.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale ordered Frans Ghirxi to pay Frank and Maria Alexia Psaila €2,500 each after he published an unsigned letter alleging she was given a job because her father was, at the time, permanent secretary at the Gozo Ministry.

The letter, which appeared on October 5, 2009, alleged that people, especially in Gozo, were losing out on jobs in the civil service because they were deemed overqualified.

The author commented that it was not right that people could not choose the jobs they wanted despite being qualified to occupy posts at a higher level.

The letter said that Ms Psaila had applied for and was given the job of clerk at the ETC.

It alleged that the other candidates were eliminated by the selection board to give the job to Ms Psaila because of her father’s position in the Gozo Ministry.

It also said one of the candidates, Edel Mary Camilleri, who had since become a police inspector, had been told she was overqualified and so disqualified.

The magistrate noted that while the author had alleged corruption in how the job was given to Ms Psaila, there was nothing to support the allegation.

The court observed that the selection board had every right to decide that Ms Camilleri was overqualified and that she was not suited to the position of a clerk. In fact, she had become a police inspector, a position of respect and authority.

It noted that it was only after one of the three remaining candidates chose to go for another job that Ms Psaila was chosen.

There was no indication of any form of favouritism, the magistrate concluded.