Former Labour MP gets €1,000 for defamation in In-Nazzjon

The Nationalist Party organ In-Nazzjon has been ordered to pay €1,000 in damages to former Labour MP lawyer Luciano Busuttil for defaming him whilst he was still mayor of Hamrun.

Busuttil and Philip Massa, at the time the Executive Secretary of the Hamrun local council had filed libel proceedings against In-Nazzjon editor Alex Attard over an article titled “Kundannata kull forma ta' diskriminazzjoni inkluża politika” (“All forms of discrimination are condemned, including political”) which had been published in November 2007.

The article had alleged that the Hamrun council led by Busuttil was discriminating against individuals on the basis of their political leanings. It also claimed that the council was engaging Labour-sympathising lawyers to provide services and that there was financial mismanagement.

The case was decided by magistrate Gabriella Vella who observed that auditors had found no shortcomings on the financial management front.

Neither had Busuttil discriminated against any lawyers as those appointed were engaged following a public call and had been approved unanimously by the council.

Attard was cleared of defaming Massa, but was found guilty with regards to Busuttil and ordered to pay him €1,000 by way of compensation.

The former mayor was represented in court by lawyer Abigail Critien. Lawyer Joseph Zammit Maempel assisted Attard.