The wheels readjust themselves as new alliances are formed -UPDATED
No, I'm not a cunning little manipulator on an ego-trip. How dare you? Legality Now.
I’m beginning to think that it wasn’t a coincidence Astrid Vella decided to sue me for libel now, a whole year after the posts I wrote about her in the thick of the St John’s Cathedral museum debate. That was in February last year, but she waited until February this year to sue.
The court usher turned up with her papers just a couple of days after the police arrived with their summons for Consuelo Herrera’s and Robert Musumeci’s defamation suits. All three of them – Vella, Herrera and Musumeci – are represented by the same law firm in these three cases. Oh, bingo!
Astrid’s excuse, when interviewed about this by Malta Today the Sunday before last, was that she is “represented by Joe Giglio & Associates” and had to wait to sue me until Ian Spiteri Bailey, the purported libel specialist at the firm, left his position on the MEPA Appeals Board – so that there wouldn’t be “any perceived conflict of interest” with her role as leader of the FAA.
This is, of course, total bollocks – if you’ll excuse my French.
Ian Spiteri Bailey did not leave the MEPA Appeals Board last month. And even if he were to have done so, it stretches the limits of credulity to be told that Astrid Vella felt libelled by something I wrote in February 2009, then rang Joe Giglio’s office to be told that she would have to wait until February 2010 and Spiteri Bailey’s departure from the MEPA Appeals Board to file her suit.
Come on, who are we fooling here?
There’s more bollocks (but you can always be sure of that where Astrid is involved). She was not represented by Joe Giglio & Associates between February last year and February this year.
When Robert Musumeci sent in the police to investigate her, as he did me, she needed the services of a libel lawyer and she got one: Andrew Borg Cardona.
Obviously, she couldn’t use him to sue me, because he and my husband work out of the same office. So she had to look for a new libel lawyer.
I don’t know about you, but if I were in that position of starting from scratch with a new libel lawyer, I would find one who is available, and not one who tells me “Oh OK – but come back next year and we’ll do it then.”
So I don’t know who Astrid thinks she’s kidding here.
Joe Giglio, who is looking after Robert Musumeci ‘parte civile’ interests in his defamation suit against me, is now Astrid’s lawyer too. Ian Spiteri Bailey signed the papers with him, but Astrid wasn’t waiting for Ian Spiteri Bailey because Joe Giglio could have done it alone.
So Astrid and Musumeci now have the same lawyer. That’s interesting. When Astrid’s libel papers arrived, this is the first thing that struck me: that her lawyers are Joe Giglio & Associates, just like Robert Musumeci and Consuelo Herrera, whose papers arrived at pretty much the same time.
“I’ll bet they struck a deal,” I thought, not having been born yesterday.
Why would Astrid go to Robert Musumeci’s lawyer, and more to the point, why now after a whole year when Miss Prissy is one of those neurotic people who are forever chasing documents, nagging people and getting things done on time not because they are efficient but because they have nothing else to do?
Sure enough, that interview in Malta Today the Sunday before last told me what I needed to know.
In her slating of Scerri Herrera, Caruana Galizia revealed details of her romantic life with architect and PN Siggiewi mayor Robert Musumeci, who months ago also instituted libel proceedings against Astrid Vella herself.
Such a war of public figures was, admittedly, somewhat confusing. But Vella was not in a mood to broach the Musumeci subject, so she opted for concision (or is it ambiguity?) in her reply: “Robert Musumeci’s action against me was some months ago and it is in fact suspended.
Scum, the lot of them.
More bollocks still: Robert Musumeci’s case against Astrid Vella is not suspended, as she claims. It is still before Magistrate Silvio Meli.Whatever she’s up to, she’d better be straight about it.
Something else: contrary to what Malta Today says in the paragraph quoted above, I have no “romantic life with architect and PN Siggiewi mayor Robert Musumeci.” I am certain that this assertion is merely the result of the journalist’s poor writing skills, and so I will not sue for libel.
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Why don’t you sue them for insinuating that you have a romantic relationship with Musumeci? Maybe at least they will learn to write properly.
[Daphne – They didn’t insinuate it. They spelled it out.]
ok, my mistake. You are too sharp!
eeeeeeeee din ma kontx nafa – veru jew? what’s with this Musumeci – is he Malta’s Clooney? Now I get why he’s at every party. NO ROBERT NO PARTY! Its finally beginning to make sense.
I too don’t think that it is a coincidence. Astrid I’m sure you are reading this. On what grounds is your case with Musumeci suspended? A common enemy perhaps?
Imbasta taparsi ghandhom principji dawn in-nies.
Daphne, can you perhaps explain in simpler terms? The coconuts will not understand it.
If I understand well and if I may summarise, let us say that from the sequence of events, one could hypothesise that Astrid reached a deal with Robert that if he suspends his case against her, which let us say would damage him more than her and it is the last thing he wants now, then she would jump on his bandwagon and she too would seek to strike a blow at you. But of course this is a hypothesis, not an allegation.
At this point, I am wondering why, last Saturday, Robert Musumeci was not leading the protest with Astrid.
Next time table of 12
Astrid Vella is just jumping on the proverbial bandwagon, because she craves attention. I don’t think she even has the brains to have ever considered making any sort of “pact” with Musumeci et al.
The answer in my view is simple.
Dik, xewxuha, and she fell for it line hook and sinker, ta paccocca li hi.
Now Astrid Vella also! Ma’ X’biza!
Cara ghalfejn Astrid Vella stennet s’issa sakemm tghamillek libell; dan ghax bhalissa diga ghandek libelli ohra gravanti fuqek, u l-unione fa la forza. Inghaqdu jinfexxu fik, le? Ghallinqas hekk nifimha jien.
Silta mill-ittra li baght lit-Times u illi ma ppublikawx:
“Criminal charges have now been filed against Daphne Caruana Galizia, along with several libel suits intended to distract her, deplete her fighting spirit and scare public opinion away from her. I trust people will still put up a big show of support for her, because not many others are willing to assume the risks associated with bringing truth to power and revealing the loathsome bent for networking and self-promotion which animates many of the Molochs at the helm of our country.”
This question comes to mind:
Could it be that The Times are censoring certain comments and/or letters to the editor, for fear of giving more prominence to this blog which now they see as a “competitor” for their online traffic?
Prosit. Alan ghax hekk hu.
Ejja Astrid mur fuq One TV u ohrog starrija ghalhiex il-kaz tieghek u Musumeci gie sospis.
Imbasta bis-slogan tan-n*jk ta’ Legality Now.
Jekk tahseb li l-poplu beza mix-xita nhar is-Sibt u ghalhekk ma gewx ghall-protestina li kellek il-belt sejra zmerc izjed milli sejra zmerc jekk qed taqa fin-nassa.
“Robert Musumeci’s case against Astrid Vella is not suspended, as she claims”
She’s a worse paccocca than I thought.
In what world does “and it is in fact suspended” mean it is still ongoing.
Is Spiteri Bailey Anglu Farrugia’s puppet?
Is there any squealing pixie out there who can clarify the matter?
It’s like something out of Lustrum.
As if qatt, hadd, se jbezza lil Daphne!! U hallina nghixu Astrid, sabiha. Qed idahhluk f’ xibka u anqas biss qed tinduna. Kien jaqbillek toqghod tiehu pjacir tidher kultant ghax int hekk thobb, mela tidhol f’ dil basla? U wara sena shiha?? Il-borma keshet issa, u ha jneffquk partita flus ghaz-zeta. U hallik mill “unione fa la forza” ta, ghax in-nies juzawk u jgharmuk bhat-“tissues”. U ibqa bli hadt u imbaghad. Nahseb li all this will backfire, u flok iddawru in-nies kontra Daphne, iktar tigbduhom lejha qeghdin. Possibbli ma tintebhux imma? Kulhadd jaghmel il-libelli left, right, and centre, qishom qed jaghmlu bicca hobz biz-zejt. Sar itini id-dahq jien kif nara il kelma “libell”, qisha xi moda daz-zmien.
Astrid is inexperienced in politics – and without knowing she has entered the arena. I think the going will be too hot for her to handle.
” Joe Giglio, who is looking after Robert Musumeci ‘parte civile’ interests in his defamation suit against me, is now Astrid’s lawyer too.”
Is this the same Joe Giglio representing former policeman Patick Spiteri, who appeared before Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera?
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2010/03/10/this-is-the-policeman-who-sent-drinks-to-consuelo-and-with-whom-she-left-the-restaurant/
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2010/03/10/would-you-buy-a-used-flat-from-this-man/
( Lest we forget – the case is still on-going. After almost 4 years. Under house arrest. For 4 years. Did I forget to say 4 years ?)
Tal-biza.
Has the picture been retouched? Am I right in saying that the mic looks like a &^%&?
Daphne, when will u stop hounding anyone who u dont agree with, what a waste of talent, I mean writing talent, nit political.