A good day for that nasty newspaper, It-Torca, and the rubbish people at the GWU

Published: October 15, 2012 at 7:17pm

timesofmalta.com, this afternoon:

It-Torca ordered to pay maximum damages in BWSC libel case

The GWU’s Sunday newspaper It-Torca was today fined more than €23,000 in five libel cases.

The newspaper was fined the maximum of €11,646.87 in a case instituted by Mita employee Wayne Lee Valentine after the newspaper alleged that while he was seconded to Enemalta, he leaked sensitive information useful to BWSC, which was granted the power station extension contract.

Valentine allegedly passed information to a colleague whose father-in-law was the BWSC agent.

The court said this article was the result of gutter journalism and it appeared that the journalist relied on allegations made to him by sources who, when it mattered, could not prove their information. It was also clear that the journalist had not made a distinction between fact and conjecture.

This, the court said, undermined the respect which the journalism profession should enjoy, while undermining the reputation of Mr Valentine, who ended up being arrested during police investigations and was also investigated by the Public Accounts Committee.

The newspaper was also fined €5,000 each in two cases over an article which implied corruption by Nationalist MP Tony Abela and minister George Pullicino. They filed proceedings separately.

The newspaper was also ordered to pay €1,000 and €500 in separate cases over a story where it was claimed that production houses were paid for subtle publicity for Mater Dei Hospital. The first case was filed by Christian Scicluna. The second was by Sabrina Mullegen.




26 Comments Comment

  1. maryanne says:

    There’s more good news today. Just heard the son of the late Karmnu Grima explaining how his father never tried to shoot Mintoff.

    He appeared on TVhemm on the anniversary of Black Monday.

    Will the progressive and modern leader ask forgiveness to this family? I cried while hearing the details. Just imagine what Karmnu and his family went through. Yes, viva l-Labour indeed.

  2. carlos says:

    The fact remains that the libel damages are too low considering what Mr. Valentine went through and how his reputation has been damaged. Perhaps the GWU would argue the money paid is worth it.

  3. RJC says:

    Good. About time this gutter journalism is severly punished.

  4. Jozef says:

    Another piece of Labour logic, just consider the approximate date of the study in question, that’s over twenty years ago.

    Then there’s the false premise that a refurbishment program designed and quantified twenty years ago would apply by today’s standards.

    These people are ridiculous, they will simply jump to conclusions at the merest indication of what they’d like to hear.

    http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20121015-24-million-enough-to-rehabilitate-1000-bed-st-luke-hospital

    The realistic sum exceeds 37 million euro.

    JPO thinks otherwise, given his experience in pushing a good rent through, the minister could learn a thing or two.

    • maryanne says:

      Even Marlene Farrugia can give Joe Cassar a hint or two. I am sure that her calculations will make St.Philip’s worth more than the agreed price.

      • Jozef says:

        Oh definitely, what with her vocation for senior citizens’ well being in the community. I believe sixteen will be the perfect number. And were she to find herself in difficulty, Musumeci surely wouldn’t refrain from the workings, live.

        Karmenu Vella came up with a whopper this evening in parliament; converting a hotel to save money.

        Yes, a hotel.

        Ever seen a hotel with lifts large enough to accomodate a full size stretcher lengthwise, or the doors into the rooms having side split doors wide enough to allow one in, not to mention the narrow corridors?

        Now why should a Perit, of his calibre, come up with such a proposal? I mean, which hotel would that be?

  5. Helen Cassar says:

    Your hubby to be is on 106.6 FM………rega qed jeqred, ma xi dwejjaq fih

  6. H.P. Baxxter says:

    How much would it cost to hire a lawyer and sue a newspaper? I’ve got grounds for suing one Labour rag.

    • La Redoute says:

      Franco Debono will do it for free. He believes in democracy and champions free speech.

      Be nice. He might be having a bad hair day.

  7. Interested Bystander says:

    Wayne is a good bloke.

  8. The chemist says:

    Mr Zarb will be hoping the new and progressive movement will 23,000 extra smackers to foot the bill. After all, they are one and the same, useless.

  9. anthony says:

    This is no surprise to an old salt like me .

    PL, Torca, GWU are variations on a theme as we say in music.

    To my mind PL stands for Party of Lies.

    “A lie told long enough becomes truth”. V. Lenin.

    Mintoff lied to the House for all the sixteen years or so he was PM.

    Whenever he was challenged, his stock reply was “mhux fl-interess tal-poplu”.

    Big deal.

    Giddieb ordnat.

  10. ClS says:

    Truth does prevail.

  11. Mandy says:

    “The 33rd anniversary of the violence of October 15, 1979 – Black Monday – is being marked today.

    On that day, following claims of an assassination attempt against Dom Mintoff, a Labour Party-supporting group forced its way into The Times offices, destroying everything that was in its path and setting the place on fire. Workers were lucky to escape uninjured, climbing down ladders from windows at the back of the burning building.

    The mob also attacked PN clubs in Valletta and Floriana before proceeding to the residence of then Opposition leader Eddie Fenech Adami, destroying furniture, beating up the late Mary Fenech Adami and terrorising his children, who escaped by jumping over a number of roofs.”

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121015/local/black-monday-remembered.441196

    • anthony says:

      Mandy, this was their finest hour.

      Scum.

      Pure unadulterated scum.

      The PL.

      No wonder they say the past is dead and buried.

      It is obnoxious.

      For them, not for us who were on the other side of the fence.

      For us it was our moment of glory never ever to be forgotten.

      The moment when Mintoff and his thugs were reduced to acting like plain criminals.

      We will make sure it will never ever be forgotten.

      Not as long as we live.

      Not as long as I live anyway.

      • Village says:

        It will never be forgotten. It was a climax of Mintoff and his evil socialist regime. There were many others in the course of his malevolent stay in office. To me he personifies the embodiment of hatred and cruelty.

        May he rot in hell.

  12. Herman says:

    Was this mentioned on One News? I don’t normally watch it.

  13. Galian says:

    No Eddy Privitera comments under this post … why am I not surprised?

  14. Leli says:

    Fejn qieghed il-HATE-GURU Eddy Privitera?

  15. Evarist Saliba says:

    I am afraid that some newspapers, and their contributors, consider lost libel cases like war campaign medals.

    Truth and credibility are not relevant to them.

  16. ciccio says:

    Will they set up a Torca Libel Fund, now?
    Maybe they can check if Saviour Balzan has any surplus on his fund to share with them.

  17. Angus Black says:

    On the GWU’s Financial Statement, €23,000 will appear under “Cost of doing business”.
    Raunchy, corrupt, proven liars and close associates of Joseph and his Mintoffian herd.

  18. Gladio says:

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