No chance of amicable settlement in Rosianne Cutajar libel case, court told

Government MP Rosianne Cutajar’s lawyer has told a court that outspoken author Mark Camilleri’s “constant challenging” of his client meant that there was no chance of an amicable resolution to the libel case she had filed against him.

Cutajar was present in the courtroom when the case was called for its first sitting before magistrate Rachel Montebello this morning. The court noted that the defendant had been successfully notified on 15 January and had filed a reply in the acts, but Camilleri did not attend today's sitting.

The case was filed after Camilleri alleged that Rosianne Cutajar had been in a relationship with and received money from Yorgen Fenech as payment for her defending him from corruption allegations, while publicly criticising Daphne Caruana Galizia's investigative work. "Rosianne practically committed a serious crime that could put her in prison," the author wrote.

Reading through his reply, the magistrate noted that Camilleri’s defence argument was essentially that his comments were not defamatory, had caused no damage to Cutajar, were substantially true and represented his honest opinion.

Asked whether any attempt at reconciliation or of reaching an amicable resolution had been made, Cutajar’s lawyer Edward Gatt pointed out that the defendant was “continuously tweeting” about his client and challenging her. “He is constantly insulting her,” said the lawyer.

“He also has a right to speak,” interjected Lawyer Joseph Mizzi, who is appearing for Camilleri together with lawyer Timothy Spiteri.

The magistrate observed that the case was unlikely to be resolved amicably, as none of the parties were prepared to consider this outcome. The court said it would begin to hear evidence, starting the Cutajar’s testimony, in the next sitting, to be held in March.