Man handed conditional discharge for insulting Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando on Facebook

Facebook should be place for friends to communicate and not a battlefield for dissenting opinions, a court has remarked, as it handed a man a suspended sentence over a Facebook post calling a former politician a “pedigree homo.”

Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando had gone to the police after Valletta resident Stefano Zampa posted a link to an article about how Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, as chairperson of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, had nominated his girlfriend, Lara Boffa, as 'national contact point' for EU research programme Horizon 2020. The post was garnished with a comment containing the insult, berating the politician for “speaking against Valletta people.”

In October last year, Zampa was charged with misuse of electronic communications equipment over the Facebook post.

When the case was called this morning, Zampa, assisted by lawyer Gianluca Caruana Curran, apologised to Pullicino Orlando for any offence his post might have caused.

The court, in view of his apology and after hearing submissions made on behalf of Pullicino Orlando, found Zampa guilty as charged.

Magistrate Joe Mifsud took the opportunity to emphasise the point that “even during times like these, means of communications should not be used to create division amongst the people of Malta.” He admonished Zampa, reminding him that the charges carried a fine of up to €23,293.

Mifsud, however opted for a lesser punishment, handing the man a six-month conditional discharge, also issuing a three-year protection order in favour of Pullicino Orlando and Boffa.

Inspector Priscilla Caruana Lee prosecuted. Lawyer Gianluca Caruana Curran was defence counsel. Lawyer Vince Micallef appeared for Pullicino Orlando.