Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi files police report after journalist doorstepped him

Shadow justice minister Jason Azzopardi has reported journalists from the Labour Party’s media station One News to the police for doorstepping him outside his legal office.

In a statement, Azzopardi claimed that the journalists’ behaviour amounted to “intimidation” as part of a “hate-filled attack by Castille against me that is being spearheaded by [justice minister] Owen Bonnici and the Labour Party’s media.”

But as a video uploaded on One News shows, the journalists were carrying out their job as is normal for media workers from both political stables and the independent press.

“As soon as I found out about these developments, I instantly reported it to the police,” Azzopardi said in his statement. “I expect the police fore to do its job and halt this intimidation by the Labour media. No intimidation from the corrupt clique at Castille will stop me and my colleagues from exposing the government’s corruption. This is the most corrupt government in Malta’s history, as has been confirmed by Transparency International.”

The Maltese institute of journalists (IGM) condemned the intimidation against journalists. “Journalists must be allowed to carry out their duties, amongst which is that of seeking answers from politicians, politically-exposed persons, and public officials, for their actions. Journalists have a right to ask the questions they feel are in the public interest.”

The IGM said that in expecting the decriminalisation of libel in Malta, it expects that no journalist should be threatened by police action for doing their job “as long as no character assassination is being carried out with their questions.”

Azzopardi was thrust in the spotlight by an NAO report which suggests that as minister for lands he was aware that the GPD was redeeming the ground rent on Qormi land used by Marsovin for a brewery. But while Labour is suggesting Azzopardi used political pressure for a beneficial deal for Marsovin and Vassallo Builders, who bought the land after Marsovin redeemed the government land, the NAO has been unable to confirm this assertion independently.