The former head of government communications, Gordon Pisani, told a court today that he could not explain how questions sent by Labour newspaper Kullhadd were posted on Daphne Caruana Galizia's website before a reply was even formulated.
He, however, pointed out that the same set of questions had also been sent to a large group of government ministry communications coordinators, some 15 in all. He said there was a possibility that this email had been forwarded by someone within one of the various ministries that had been copied in.
Mr Pisani was testifying in the libel proceedings instituted by Richard Cachia Caruana, former permanent representative to the EU, against MaltaToday editor Saviour Balzan. The case is over an opinion piece penned by Mr Balzan in which he suggested that Mr Cachia Caruana was the mind behind attacks by the Nationalist Party against people who criticised the party.
Lawyer Toni Abela, appearing for Mr Balzan, asked Mr Pisani about his relationship with Ms Caruana Galizia, to which Mr Pisani replied: "It was like my relations with any other journalist. I would communicate with her only if she had submitted any questions," he said.
Mr Pisani admitted that he had met her on a handful of occasions, adding that he only met journalists in public places. Asked whether one such occasion included an event at the Westin Dragonara, Mr Pisani replied in the affirmative.
Mr Pisani also recalled how he had gone to Ms Caruana Galizia's house during the 2008 general election campaign, at the height of the allegations regarding the Mistra Bay controversy in which former PN MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando had been implicated. He said Dr Pullicino Orlando had asked Ms Caruana Galizia to write an article on his behalf as he was not in a condition to do so.
Asked about Ms Caruana Galizia's link with the PN, Mr Pisani said that on that occasion, Dr Pullicino Orlando had asked the blogger to pen an article on his behalf, adding that this was the only time Ms Caruana Galizia had been asked to do something of the sort. He denied that Ms Caruana Galizia had ever attended a PN strategy group meeting or that she had been paid for her service.
Asked by Dr Abela whether Mr Cachia Caruana had been consulted prior to Ms Caruana Galizia being contacted, Mr Pisani said this was possible as Mr Cachia Caruana was in the party's strategy group. He said Mr Cachia Caruana had not accompanied him to the meeting with Ms Caruana Galizia.
The case continues next month.