Nationalist Party television station Net TV was yesterday ordered to pay Foreign Minister George Vella €500 in libel damages after accusing him of omitting a villa in his declaration of assets.
The villa in Żejtun, however, turned out not to belong to him but to his wife.
Magistrate Francesco Depasquale heard that the station claimed in its news bulletin of August 10, 2013, that Dr Vella had failed to list the villa among his assets.
In a hearing on March 9, Dr Vella exhibited documents showing the villa had been inherited by his wife when her father passed away.
Net News carried a correction soon after the bulletin, withdrawing its allegations and apologising for the inconvenience caused to Dr Vella.
The court nevertheless found the station guilty of libel and ordered it to pay Dr Vella €500 in compensation.