Allied Newspapers stands by decision to sack Ivan Camilleri despite court ruling

Allied Newspapers, publishers of Times of Malta, are standing by their decision to sack journalist Ivan Camilleri despite a court ruling awarding him damages for unjust dismissal.

In a statement published on Friday, the company said it is disappointed with the Appeals Court ruling that confirmed a decision by the Industrial Tribunal to award Camilleri €171,000 in damages.

The company said it stands by its 2019 decision to dismiss Camilleri following “reliable information it received about a shoplifting incident and about his communications with Yorgen Fenech”.

During court proceedings against Yorgen Fenech for his alleged involvement in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder, Camilleri’s name had cropped up as the person who tipped off the businessman of his impending arrest. The shoplifting incident had first been reported by MaltaToday.

“Following legal advice, the company decided to instantly dismiss Camilleri in 2019 over what it considered to be gross misconduct on his part, to safeguard the safety of Times of Malta journalists and preserve the integrity of Malta’s leading media organisation,” Allied Newspapers said in its statement.

Camilleri had sued the newspaper, claiming unfair dismissal. The Industrial Tribunal found in Camilleri’s favour but also found him 25% responsible for what happened. The tribunal awarded Camilleri €171,000 in damages. The decision in its entirety was confirmed by the Appeals Court this week.

Allied Newspapers said it lost the case on procedural issues. “Notwithstanding our disappointment, we stand by our actions and our decision in this case to dismiss the journalist over what we considered to be a serious breach of trust. We need to protect the integrity of the newsroom, and that also means journalists never divulging their sources, despite the potential implications at tribunal level. A failure to act in this case would have been a disservice to our colleagues, our readership and the wider public,” the news organisation said.