Nationalist Party executive president Ann Fenech testified today in libel proceedings against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Labour president Daniel Micallef after the Labour Party linked her to secret Panama companies. 

Dr Fenech said that a statement issued by the PL claiming that she had kept under wraps a company which she has held in Panama for 13 years, was the spark which ignited a roaring fire in her regard.

Following that false statement, billboards featuring her as 'The Lady of Panama' mushroomed around the island.

Dr Fenech denied ever having had any involvement with any company registered in Panama. She explained that Fenlex, a corporate services company closely associated with Fenech and Fenech Advocates, had registered two companies in Panama in the ordinary course of business.  MFSA regulations on secrecy barred her from revealing the names of the fiduciaries of such companies.

However Dr Fenech insisted that this had taken place before she stepped into her directorship role at Fenech and Fenech Advocates. Besides,  registration of a company was not tantamount to ownership.

She told the court, presided by Magistrate Francesco Depasquale, that the statement issued by the PL and the ensuing billboards were merely a mudslinging campaign intended to harm her reputation.

Harm to her reputation had certainly been caused, since even international clients of hers had commented about the issue.

Lawyers Joe Zammit Maempel and Antonio Ghio were counsel to Anne Fenech.

Lawyer Pawlu Lia appeared for the respondents.