Sacking former journalist Ivan Camilleri was needed to protect Times of Malta’s integrity, Allied Newspaper said in a statement reacting to a court’s decision to confirm a €171,000 payout.

Earlier this week, a court turned down appeals from both Allied Newspapers and Camilleri, who was asking for an additional €55,700 in compensation, disputing an industrial tribunal’s finding that he was partly to blame for his dismissal.

The tribunal had reached its decision after it found that Camilleri’s sacking did not follow a proper disciplinary procedure.

In a statement issued on Friday, Allied Newspapers said it was “disappointed” by the court’s decision to confirm the payout, noting that it had “lost the case on procedural issues”.

Nevertheless, the company said that failing to sack Camilleri “would have been a disservice to our colleagues, our readership and the wider public”.

The decision to fire the journalist came after the company received “reliable information” about a shoplifting incident and communications with Yorgen Fenech, the statement said. Camilleri denies both allegations.

He was dismissed in December 2019.

The company said his behaviour constituted “gross misconduct” on Camilleri’s part, forcing it to act “to safeguard the safety of Times of Malta journalists and preserve the integrity of Malta’s leading media organisation”.

“Notwithstanding our disappointment, we stand by our actions and our decision in this case to dismiss the journalist over what we considered to be a serious breach of trust,” Allied Newspapers said.