Former PN executive council president Ann Fenech won two libel suits she instituted against the prime minister and the president of the Labour Party after false claims made against her in statements by the party.

The PL had claimed in March 2016, that Dr Fenech had received a million euros in consultancies under the Gonzi government, that she personally worked on the citizenship programme, and that she had companies in Panama.

In the second case, a year later, the PL had claimed that Dr Fenech owned secret companies in Panama, a claim followed to by a billboard campaign.  

The courts found all those statements to be false.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale noted that the PL targetted Dr Fenech personally and never referred to the fact that she was part of a legal firm. The funds mentioned in the statement had actually been paid to Fenech and Fenech Advocates, and work on the citizenship scheme and the opening of Panama companies was handled by Fenlex, another firm. 

The author of the PL statements knew these facts, but chose to omit them in what appeared to be an effort to label Dr Fenech as having personally received €1m and that she worked on the citizenship schemes or opened companies in Panama. 

Magistrate Depasquale said that contrary to what had been claimed, Dr Fenech personally owned no companies in Panama. Nor had she received a million euros in consultancy or worked on the citizenship programme. 

Dr Muscat and Dr Daniel Micallef, PL president, were therefore jointly condemned to pay €2,000 for each case.