Alex Farrugia, former editor of the General Workers Union-owned newspaper paper It-Torċa, has been ordered to pay €5,000 in libel damages to Stanley Portelli, former Transport Malta CEO.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale found an article which appeared in the July 8, 2012 edition was libellous.

The article was published with a half page picture of Mr Portelli on the front page, beneath the headline “Investigation”. It claimed there was an investigation under way into the purchasing of 10 cars by Transport Malta from a company whose director sat on a Transport Malta committee.

However, the article did not say Dr Portelli was under investigation and it turned out he was not.

It was true that cars had been bought from Meridian Limited – one of whose directors sat on TM’s Maritime Affairs Committee. However, this director was never mentioned in the article.

Dr Portelli’s picture was only published because he was Transport Malta’s CEO, the court found.

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