MaltaToday has been ordered to fork out €2,000 to Malta Enterprise's former chairman after a court ruled that four articles about a New Year’s Eve party held at the agency’s offices were defamatory.

Alan Camilleri had filed for libel in 2012 following the publication of four articles stating that a New Year's Eve party had been held at the Pieta offices of the corporation.

The reports were penned by journalist Jurgen Balzan, who had reported seeing lights and people moving around inside the new building's penthouse at 11pm on December 31, 2011. Mr Balzan had been attending a house party nearby.

Mr Camilleri subsequently filed a libel suit as well as a criminal complaint against Mr Balzan and MaltaToday editor-in-chief Saviour Balzan, claiming the stories to be slanderous fabrications.

Mr Camilleri had insisted that he was not at the agency offices at the time and that no such party had taken place. He had produced witnesses of his own, who testified to the absence of people in the building at the time reported.

During the libel proceedings, Saviour Balzan had labelled Mr Camilleri a "party animal", adding that the story quoted witnesses and employees who described how Mr Camilleri would “terrorise” them as he controlled every aspect of what went on.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale held that although the defence had produced witnesses to the fact that lights were on and shadows were moving inside the building, this did not necessarily mean there was a party going on at the time.

The court ruled that although the defendants were made aware that no party had been held prior to publishing the first article, they had persisted in making the assertions. These were not retracted, even after a visit to the premises.

The court therefore upheld Mr Camilleri's complaint, holding that the articles did not constitute fair comment. The defendants were ordered to pay €2,000 to Mr Camilleri by way of damages.

The newspaper will be appealing the decision.