Mark Camilleri libeled blogger over Fenech family payment claim - ruling

Author Mark Camilleri libeled a blogger when he accused him of being part of the mafia and receiving money for articles from Yorgen Fenech's mother, a magistrate has ruled. 

The former National Book Council chair was ordered to pay €2,500 in damages to university academic blogger Simon Mercieca.

A court, presided over by magistrate Rachel Montebello, found a blog titled “The disinformation campaign of Yorgen Fenech” published by Camilleri in May 2023 was defamatory against Mercieca.

Mercieca had sued Camilleri, as in the article, Camilleri claimed that Mercieca was receiving payments from Patricia Fenech, the mother of businessman Yorgen Fenech, who is awaiting trial over alleged complicity in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The article said: “Simon gets all this trash talk from Yorgen Fenech’s mother, Patricia, whom he met several times and also received payment from her.”

Camilleri accused Merceica of receiving payments from Patricia Fenech to write articles that shifted the blame for Caruana Galizia’s murder away from Yorgen Fenech.

The court found that Camilleri failed to prove that Mercieca received payment from Patricia Fenech to publish articles spreading disinformation.

The article also accuses Mercieca of forming part of the mafia: “Simon Mercieca is a loser working for the Mafia…he is dangerous as just another servant of an organised criminal group.”

Given the ongoing court case, Yorgen Fenech must be treated under the presumption of innocence, the court said; therefore, it would not be right to decide whether or not he is part of a criminal organisation.

The court concluded that claims that Mercieca is part of the mafia are defamatory statements.

The judgment said that these accusations were “extremely serious and capable of causing irreparable damage to a person’s reputation.”

The court ordered Camilleri to pay Mercieca €2,500 in damages and court expenses.