Blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia was asked by former Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando to pen an article on his behalf in 2008, in the midst of the Mistra Bay controversy, a court heard yesterday.
Gordon Pisani, the former head of government communications under the previous administration, also told the court he could not explain how questions sent to the government by Labour newspaper Kullħadd were posted on the blogger’s website before a reply had even been formulated.
He pointed out, however, that the same set of questions were sent to a large group of government ministry communications coordinators, some 15 in all. It was possible the email was forwarded by someone at one of the ministries who had been copied.
Mr Pisani was testifying in the libel case instituted by the former ambassador to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, against MaltaToday editor Saviour Balzan.
The case is over an opinion piece written by Mr Balzan in which he suggested that Mr Cachia Caruana was the brains behind PN attacks against people who were critical of the party. Lawyer Toni Abela, appearing for Mr Balzan, asked Mr Pisani about his relationship with Ms Caruana Galizia, to which he replied: “It was like my relations with any other journalist. I would communicate with her only if she had submitted any questions,” he said.
My relationship was like with any other journalist.I communicated with her only if she submitted any questions
Mr Pisani admitted that he had met her on a handful of occasions, adding that he only met journalists in public places. Asked whether one such occasion included an event at the Westin Dragonara, Mr Pisani replied in the affirmative.
Mr Pisani recalled going to Ms Caruana Galizia’s house during the 2008 general election campaign, at the height of the allegations regarding the Mistra Bay controversy in which Dr Pullicino Orlando had been implicated.
He said Dr Pullicino Orlando had asked Ms Caruana Galizia to write an article on his behalf as he was not in a condition to do so. Asked about Ms Caruana Galizia’s link with the PN, Mr Pisani said this was the only time Ms Caruana Galizia had been asked to do something of the sort.
He denied that she ever attended a PN strategy group meeting or that she had been paid for her service.
Asked by Dr Abela whether Mr Cachia Caruana had been consulted prior to Ms Caruana Galizia being contacted, Mr Pisani said this was possible as Mr Cachia Caruana was in the party’s strategy group. He also denied that Mr Cachia Caruana had accompanied him to the meeting with Ms Caruana Galizia along with Dr Pullicino Orlando.
Just before the 2008 general election it was revealed that an application had been filed to turn a piece of land owned by Dr Pullicino Orlando, in the environmentally sensitive Mistra Bay, into an open-air disco.
The case continues next month.