Former In-Nazzjon editor Joseph Zahra and In-Nazzjon journalist Joe Mikallef were ordered to pay a total of Lm600, after a court upheld an appeal made by former Maltese High Commissioner Richard Matrenza with regard to a libel suit.
Mr Matrenza had filed a libel suit regarding an article published on the 7 January 1999 edition of In-Nazzjon. He claimed the article, entitled £1,687 for sheets and towels, alleged that while serving as the Maltese High Commissioner in the UK, he had squandered money.
The first court had ruled in favour of Mr Zahra and Mr Mikallef, and said that they had provided evidence to show that the allegations made in the article were based on fact.
The Appeals Court, however noted that the editor and journalist only proved that the sum of money quoted in the article had been spent.
The Appeals Court pointed out that the article suggested Mr Matrenza was squandering money when he was high commissioner and that Mr Zahra and Mr Mikallef provided no evidence to support this allegation. In view of this, the court upheld Mr Matrenza’s appeal and ordered Mr Zahra to pay Lm400 in damages. Mr Mikallef was ordered to pay Lm200.
Chief Justice Vincent Degaetano, Mr Justice Anton Depasquale and Mr Justice Albert Magri presided over the court.
