Former Maltasong chairman Robert Abela has settled an old score with his predecessor Grace Borg after a court found her guilty of defamation and awarded €1,200 in damages.

The incident dates back to 2006 when Malta’s representative Fabrizio Faniello came last in the Eurovision song contest held in Greece.

Following this fiasco, Ms Borg had stoked controversy due to a series of remarks made on her arrival from Athens where she had accompanied Maltese singer and Swiss Eurovision representative Keith Camilleri.

These comments were subsequently aired on current affairs programme Bondi+ on May 23, 2006. Ms Borg, who had stepped down as the head of the Maltasong board the previous year, had lashed out at her successor chairman calling him “rubbish”.

She had lashed out at her successor chairman calling him rubbish

She had also claimed that soon after the festival was over, an inebriated Mr Abela had been seen lying on the floor backstage. A week later the Maltasong chairman had filed a libel suit.

During proceedings it emerged that Ms Borg had based her claim on what Mr Camilleri had told her.

The court, however, dismissed such a claim saying Mr Camilleri had hastily drawn his own conclusions on Mr Abela’s state at that moment.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella noted that in view of the fact that Ms Borg had failed to bring sufficient evidence to substantiate her claim, her comments were deemed defamatory.