Outgoing Malta Enterprise chairman Alan Camilleri believes there is a correlation between the refusal of his agency to advertise in Malta Today and stories the newspaper published against him.

Taking the witness stand, Mr Camilleri said reasons had been given to the newspaper for the failure to advertise but the editor Saviour Balzan was unhappy about it.

Malta Enterprise is the agency responsible for the promotion of foreign investment and industrial development in Malta.

Mr Camilleri was testifying in his libel suit against Mr Balzan over what he claims were slanderous and fabricated stories about a party allegedly held on New Year’s Eve at the agency’s offices.

He said the attacks on him had not started with this fictitious story about the party but had been going on for a period of time. They had started because Mr Balzan was unhappy about the refusal to advertise, even though he had been given the reasons for it. There was a correlation between the refusal and the attacks made on him, Mr Camilleri said.

The case continues.