The Nationalist Party’s communications company has been ordered to pay almost €500,000 to a printing firm for invoices dating back to 2006.

Media.Link Communications was ordered by the court to pay Europrint for hundreds of pending invoices covering the period between 2006 and 2010.

The ruling was delivered on April 14 by Mr Justice Silvio Meli and case documents showed that the PN at one point disputed the exact figures.

The party eventually agreed to pay the full sum according to a consensually agreed repayment programme spread over five years.

When asked about the matter, PN leader Simon Busuttil refrained from entering into the merits of the case but acknowledged the party had a legacy of debt that had to be paid back.

Europrint belonged to the PN but was later sold to its present owners Giov. Muscat Co Ltd, an established wholesale printing and stationary supplier.

Media.Link Communications maintained a healthy commercial relationship with the press until 2006 when it started struggling to make payments.

In 2010, Europrint decided to start court action that led to the settlement reached this year.

The case reflects the wider financial troubles faced by the party, which is said to be as much as €8 million in the red, a legacy party sources attribute mostly to uncontrolled spending on the Pietà headquarters inaugurated in 2008.

In April 2013, the party was forced to postpone paying the salaries of some 150 employees due to cash flow problems and has not replaced workers who have since left the party in droves.

Additional reporting Kurt Sansone.