Former opposition leader Adrian Delia is suing Lovin Malta for libel over a story claiming that he messaged Yorgen Fenech during a parliamentary debate about the businessman’s secret company, 17 Black. 

The story titled “Yorgen Fenech claimed Adrian Delia messaged him During 17 Black Debate” was published on Tuesday. Delia had immediately reacted on social media by denying the allegation and demanding that the article be retracted. 

Less than 24 hours later, Delia filed a libel suit against the online news portal and its editor Julian Bonnici, declaring that the allegations in his regard were “absolutely not true.”

The story referred to text messages that the former PN leader allegedly sent to Fenech while debating an urgent motion that he himself had pushed forward in Parliament, after the business tycoon had been outed as the owner of 17 Black – a Dubai-based company with alleged ties to government corruption. 

Delia has repeatedly insisted that he never had any compromising or intimate conversations with Fenech.

In his application filed in the magistrates' court, Delia said that the declarations in the Lovin Malta story gave an impression that was not true and were simply intended to tarnish his reputation, integrity and honour.

The author of that story had defamed Delia by striking at his personal, professional and political integrity, subjecting him to public contempt through allegations and insinuations that were totally false, the applicant claimed, thus calling upon the court to condemn the defendants to maximum damages at law. 

Delia's application was signed by his lawyer Vincent Galea.