MaltaToday | 27 August 2008

Front page.
NEWS | Wednesday, 27 August 2008

MaltaToday responds to tuna libels

MaltaToday’s managing editor Saviour Balzan will be filing a writ asking the Magistrates’ Court to hear the libel cases lodged by Malta’s fish farm industry against this newspaper with urgency.
MaltaToday will be summoning foreign experts from Greenpeace and Advanced Tuna Ranching Technologies, among others, to take the witness stand.
“MaltaToday is ready to confirm everything that has been reported in its articles on the tuna industry through foreign experts that this newspaper will bring in to take the witness stand,” Saviour Balzan said.
“This newspaper sees these libel suits as a clear attempt to prevent MaltaToday from desisting from its duty to publish information and news stories on the Maltese tuna industry and the involvement of the Maltese government on the statistics presented to ICCAT on tuna exports.”
Seven tuna ranch and fish farm companies have filed a writ for libel damages against MaltaToday. Charles Azzopardi on behalf of Azzopardi Fisheries Ltd and AJD Tuna Ltd claimed he was libelled by an article titled ‘Fishy Business’ written by Saviour Balzan and published on 28 May. He further claimed that he had been libelled by an article titled ‘Cheeky Azzopardi Fishes For Compensation’ penned by journalist Raphael Vassallo and published on 28 June.
Five other fish-farm operators – Mare Blu Tuna Farm Ltd, Ta’ Mattew Fish Farms Ltd, Fish and Fish Ltd, Malta Fishfarming Ltd and AJD Tuna Ltd – filed the suit in the Magistrates’ Court against editor Saviour Balzan and journalist Raphael Vassallo. They argued that the article titled ‘Tuna Export Figures Questioned By Experts’ was libellous and defamatory. Lawyer John Refalo signed the writ.


Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below.
Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.

Search:



MALTATODAY
BUSINESSTODAY


 

MaltaToday News
27 August 2008

Azzopardi’s invisible moving tuna ranch

MaltaToday responds to tuna libels

Clouds over Comino

Malta ship impounded over anti-terror shortcomings

Villa Madama in €885,161 court auction

Chamber calls for Constitutional entrenchment of new rent laws

Heritage and safety ignored to make way for Nadur apartments

NSO injury stats are inflated, OHSA says

‘Human cost of accidents at work too high’ – AD

Malta to face sheer drop in population by 2060

AD, Labour hit out at Sam Mifsud

Environmental NGOs request online access to Ta’ Cenc plans

Karl Chircop to be flown to UK

Labour demands explanations behind soaring cost of living

€23,000 donation for China earthquake victims

Labour’s euro-strategy – orchestra or cacophony?

40% of Maltese hold Euro health insurance card

Inflation not higher than EU average – ministry



Copyright © MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016, Malta, Europe
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email