Peppi Azzopardi calls out union newspaper for ‘trying to break’ former prisoner

Veteran journalist and prison activist Peppi Azzopardi has called out website talk.mt for “defending those abusing the prison system.”

“They know they are lying, and they choose to keep on lying,” he said in a Facebook post.

On Sunday, the newspaper, owned by the General Workers Union, published an article claiming former prison Anthony Borg was wanted by the police for failing to sign his bail book.

Borg was interviewed by the Times of Malta, and had claimed mistreatment by the prison administration.

He had also shared his cell with Colin Galea, a prisoner who had committed suicide and succumbed to the injuries eight days later.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Azzopardi gave an account of a telephone conversation he had with Borg when the article was published.

Borg had insisted with Azzopardi that the claims were untrue, and that he had always signed his bail book.

When speaking with talk.mt, Azzopardi said they had understood their mistake, and had removed the article completely.

“It turns out that the screenshot was a lack of communication between the police and the photo was leaked by someone who wants to break Toni down,” he said.

But on Monday, the newspaper published a right of reply from Borg’s lawyer, together with the screenshot once again.

“I inform you that after checks have been made with the prosecuting officers, Borg has signed his bail book.  According to the Press Law, I ask you to correct this error by publishing a right of reply as written here,” the right of reply read.

They also insisted that Anthony Borg was really wanted by the Police after he failed to sign at the police station several times.

“This is the kind of hatred present against Toni. Following Borg’s revelation, they cannot deny the atrocities present in prison. They are simply trying to break him. They tried to break him in prison, and they are trying to break him outside of prison because he exposed them. This is a complete conspiracy,” Azzopardi said in the Facebook post.

He also said that since Borg’s claims were made, no one has denied what he said, instead creating “an entire conspiracy to try and break him”.