News • 24 November 2002

GZIRA - Auctioneer and Liberal Independent Gzira councillor Albert Rizzo won Lm600 in damages from the daily newspaper l-Orizzont after the court, presided by Judge David Scicluna, found the then editor and publisher of the paper guilty of bringing Rizzo's name into disrepute following an article about incidents that happened in Zejtun 13 years ago.

Rizzo had sued the newspaper for libel damages following an article entitled, "Min ipprovoka l-vjolenza?" (Who provoked violence?), published on pages one, two and three of the daily l-Orizzont on Tuesday, 6 June 1989.

The article described the incidents that happened on the 2 of June, 1989 when Mary Abdilla was to marry at the Zejtun parish church. Mary had testified in court that her witnesses for the marriage were Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and Deputy Prime Minister Guido De Marco. Details were published in the article about what had happened on the day but what was said about Mr Rizzo was found to be unfounded.

On the day, at around 7.30pm. a new Range Rover with foreign number plates had arrived at the Zejtun square. In the car were Albert Rizzo and Louis Bartolo. It was stated that the car had been driven into the square in an arrogant manner through a crowd. They parked at the bottom of the square and they went to take their place in front of the main door of the church. This was the exact time when the witnesses had to arrive, but they never arrived.

Evidence showed that the car belonged to Louis Bartolo. Rizzo had testified that they had gone to Zejtun because they had been invited to the wedding. He denied that the car was driven in an arrogant manner because it was not physically possible that one could have driven in such a way because of the people there were on the road.

Rizzo had said that when he and Bartolo had arrived in Zejtun there were around 200 or 300 people on the road, so one had to drive slowly. He also said that when they had arrived a man, Alfred Desira, known as "l-Indjan" whom they knew well went to speak to them as friends. Then they parked the car near the church.

The article had stated that the crowd started to object with the police because of Bartolo's presence in front of the church door. There were some people who tried to have a go at Bartolo and Rizzo to make them leave the place. Bartolo and Rizzo then escaped into the church and the police started to tell the people to calm down and that Bartolo and Rizzo were there because they were invited by the couple even though they were wearing T-shirts and jeans.

The crowd reacted and some ran away to attack Bartolo's car, which then was turned over, and set on fire. Rizzo denied that people had tried to have a go at them because they had stayed there for around three-quarters of an hour and then they entered the church quietly when the bride arrived. In fact Rizzo had presented photos which were published by the newspaper featuring himself and Bartolo entering the church with the bride.

Rizzo testified that the trouble began at this stage when objects, including rabbits were thrown at them. The car was set on fire when they were inside the church and the door was closed.

The newspaper also had stated that Bartolo was waving something tall like a firearm and that shots were fired.

The court said that the allegation of the firearm by the newspaper is a very serious one and that the allegation of shots being fired was more serious. The court said that Felix Agius the editor and Harold Walls, the publisher had proved nothing of the kind and that is why the actions of the newspaper were found to be damaging.