Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and his wife Claudine this morning filed a judicial protest against MaltaToday editor Matthew Vella, the director of Rainbow Turnkey Project Ltd Charles Magro, PL leader Joseph Muscat and One Productions Ltd head of news Glenn Bedingfield.
In a story yesterday MaltaToday said a contractor was claiming he had been sub-contracted to work at the minister's house in return for his intervention to arrange for the main contractor to sell the former Jerma hotel. The sale did not take place, the main contractor ran into financial difficulties and the sub-contractor was now demanding payment directly from the minister.
The allegations were repeated by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat but were denied by the minister who said that the works at his residence were paid for after the work was certified by an architect.
The payments were confirmed by a fiscal receipt but after the contractor cashed his cheque, he wrote through his legal adviser, Toni Abela, who is also the PL deputy leader, demanding more payment than certified by the architect.
In their protest Mr and Mrs Fenech said an issue that was a purely civil one between them and the construction company was being used in a deceitful manner by MaltaToday, with its claims being repeated by the opposition leader and the Labour Party’s media.
Mr Fenech said that his written reply to an email he received from the newspaper on Saturday evening clearly stated that the story was fabricated and a lie but the newspaper ignored his reply.
Mr and Mrs Fenech called for the allegations made to be withdrawn within 24 hours and requested a public apology.
They reserved the right to take further legal action.
However, in a counter protest which will be filed tomorrow, Mr Vella denied Mr and Mrs Fenech's claims that the story was published to slander their name and said their claims were unfounded.
Mr Vella said it was Malta Today's duty to investigate and publish such stories and it was the press' right to report facts about those occupying public posts, which, in a democratic society, are reasonably open to any form of scrutiny.