‘Cachia Caruana used influence with press to hit out at PN critics’

MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan has told a court that the former aide to prime minister Eddie Fenech Adami, Richard Cachia Caruana, would employ the services of members in the press in a bid to manipulate the news coverage of political issues or crises.

Balzan was testifying as a defendant in a libel suit that Cachia Caruana filed against MaltaToday.

He referred to the 1994 attempted assassination on Cachia Caruana, during which time Balzan was active in Alternattiva Demokratika and he wrote with the newspaper Alternattiva. At the time he reported the attempted murder of Cachia Caruana and the subsequent arraignment of Meinrad Calleja.

He said that Malta being what is, he happened to also know Nicky Jensen. 

“Nick Jensen, was my friend,  we worked together as teachers at St Edward's College and he was the person who found Cachia Caruana as he lay on the floor when he was stabbed in Mdina on that night. Jensen had changed his original version and had stated that it was Joe Fenech (Zeppi l-Hafi) who had stabbed Cachia Caruana."

Fenech was granted a presidential pardon to incriminate Charles Attard ‘iz-Zambi’, who was found guilty but later recanted from jail; and Ian Farrugia, who was found not guilty by a jury.

“I remember a vicious attack on Jensen by In-Nazzjon [the PN organ] after he changed his version, which had revealed a neurological, medical condition in a bid to dent Jensen’s credibility. There were people inside the PN at the time who disagreed with this kind of personal attack… there were always a number of blind loyalists who could attack or criticise anyone whenever something threatened the status quo,” Balzan said.

"This it how works in politics, sycophants want to please their mentor."

Balzan said that Cachia Caruana's 'issues' such as his “bad chemistry” with then PN deputy prime minister Guido de Marco would show up in blogs.  “Every time De Marco did something that Castille did not look upon in favour, coincidentally Caruana Galizia would write her newspaper column against De Marco."

Balzan said that in 1999, his relationship with Cachia Caruana widened when he was employed as a consultant  in stewarding a chapter on environment for the EU accession negotiations. “During this period I saw how he operated, having a huge influence on every single decision. People like Daphne Caruana Galizia, Ivan Camilleri, Jesmond Bonello, Natalino Fenech and Karl Stagno Navarra were all part of his very close group. Cachia Caruana would manage and influence this team of people by meeting them - I am sure he did not do the micro work or direct them specifically but he influenced them.”

Many of these journalists would further many of Cachia Caruana's interests.

"Natalino Fenech as journalist with The Times had taken the liberty of introducing me to Zeppi l-Hafi, Jesmond Bonello then a journalist with The Times before building his company thanks to all the direct orders and government contracts, would write front page articles in The Times about all the new government projects in the pipeline. Even though there is golden rule in journalism that positive news does not interest readers."

"I also worked with Cachia Caruana when I was one of the main leaders of the Iva campaign and I could see how he worked. Spinning stories as we went along."

Balzan explained that in the inner core group Daphne Caruana Galizia was working very close with Cachia Caruana. This inner core also included people like former Air Malta chairman Louis Farrugia.  He also referred to former transport authority chairman Charles Demicoli as being a kingpin in Richard Cachia Caruana's wider strategy.

Balzan said that Cachia Caruana would meet his confidants which included the same posse of journalists in the lobby of the Westin Dragonara.

“In 2008 the relationship between MaltaToday and the PN administration worsened… it was at this time that Caruana Galizia started to invent stories about me, personally, something that went on for years,” Balzan said.

“RCC was at the centre of politics, and still later, remained  in the PN’s strategy. He was a public figure that I knew over a span of 20 years, he used spin to further the aims of his government just in the same way other Chief of Staff's do in Malta and abroad."