Peter Caruana Galizia says he expected Mizzi, Schembri to drop libel cases
There was more courtroom drama yesterday morning as lawyers for Minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri reacted to Peter Caruana Galizia telling the court that he had expected them to drop the libel cases they had filed against his late wife.
Caruana Galizia is the widower of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who died in a car bombing last October. He stepped into his wife’s shoes as heir in her many pending libel cases so as to preserve the mobile phone location data in other cases filed by Economy Minister Chris Cardona.
A side-effect of his decision was the continuation of other libel suits. Minister Mizzi’s lawyer, Aaron Mifsud Bonnici, summoned Caruana Galizia to the witness stand today, asking whether he was familiar with the merits of the case. “No, I didn’t read the application,” the witness replied.
“I expected your client to cede the case. I mean she’s dead, what more do you want? To take her money now?” Caruana Galizia protested. “I didn’t write them, I joined the case because the law said I should. I have been saying this from the start.”
Mifsud Bonnici pointed out that in other cases the family had said that it wanted the truth to come out. “Why do you want this case to end now?”
“I didn’t come here to beg, I expected you to drop the cases,” Caruana Galizia repeated.
An incensed Pawlu Lia, who happened to be in the courtroom waiting for another sitting, shouted: “Did you cede your libels or not?”
“I don’t have a libel,” replied the witness, as lawyers from both sides started shouting over one another. Lia voluntarily left the courtroom to prevent further disruption.
Magistrate Francesco Depasquale brought the court to order. “I am not going to accept this behaviour,” he said. “This is a courtroom, not Xarabank.”
Mifsud Bonnici asked Caruana Galizia whether he had any evidence to produce. “You have to bring the evidence. You aren’t going to win cases with my testimony,” replied the witness.
Magistrate Depasquale intervened, pointing out to Mifsud Bonnici that the defence raised was one of “fair comment,” not about the veracity of the allegations.
The allegation was not sustained by evidence, said Mifsud Bonnici. “I asked the witness if he had ever seen evidence that sustained this allegation.”
“I will look when the time comes to make my defence,” replied Caruana Galizia.
“Where? In the laptop?” quipped Mifsud Bonnici, referring to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s missing laptop.
“I haven’t seen it,” the witness said. “My wife’s laptop is not important, but the laptops of Joseph Muscat and Keith Schembri are important.”
The court ordered the inversion of evidence, meaning the defendant will have to give evidence first. The case will continue in June.