GWU newspaper editor guilty of libel against Lawrence Gonzi
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the comments made by L-Orrizont editor Josef Caruana in an article about former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi were libelous and defamatory. Judge Anthony Ellul ordered Mr Caruana to pay the moral damages to the defamed party following an article which was published some seven years ago titled “Giddieb bil-Provi”.
The article was written in the middle of a raging controversy regarding Enemalta’s contract with BWSC, the Danish company entrusted with the extension of the power station in Delimara.
Editor Josef Caruana referred to what Dr Gonzi had said during an interviewed aired on a TV programme, Bondi+, back in October 2010. Dr Gonzi had said that he had instructed the Public Accounts Committee members of the government to vote in favour on the AG’s report on the BWSC plant. It resulted however, that the four government members sitting on the committee, had in fact voted against. This is what prompted the GWU paper editor editor to write editorial in which he labelled former PM a liar.
The Court of Magistrates had originally rejected Dr Gonzi’s claims that Mr Caruana’s comments were libelous and that is why the plaintiff then decided to file an appeal.
An appeals court has now decided that the defendant’s comments had been intended to tarnish the reputation of the plaintiff who, at the time was serving as Prime Minister. It noted that although at the time, even the leader of the Opposition, Joseph Muscat, was calling Dr Gonzi a liar, Mr Caruana chose not to quote Dr Muscat but made the comments his own.
Judge Ellul ruled that that the editorial comments were defamatory and ordered Mr Caruana to pay €600.