Former transport minister Austin Gatt's son wins One News libel case

A court has awarded lawyer Gege Gatt, son of former Transport Minister Austin Gatt, €1,500 in compensation after it declared that a 2012 broadcast on One News broadcast was libellous.

Government spokesman Kurt Farrugia, at the time editor of the Labour party radio station, was ordered to pay the complainant the sum after it had broadcast claims that while Austin Gatt had taken over the management of the PN electoral campaign, his son was coordinating the attacks on Joseph Muscat, who was Leader of the Opposition at the time, over the internet.

The court heard that the station had also claimed that Gatt had set up a number of companies, including Icon and Muovo,which were awarded a substantial amount of work in a “very short period of time”. 

In addition, the station had claimed that Gatt was being touted as the PN’s next general secretary to replace Paul Borg Olivier. 

Gatt insisted that the claims were defamatory and solely intended to tarnish his reputation.

Farrugia claimed the news item in questions constituted fair comment.

The court partially disagreed, declaring that while the statement about setting up of companies was justified, the claim that Gatt was coordinating the internet attacks was defamatory.