Former Minister Carmelo Abela has taken no legal action after two men serving a 40-year jail term for murdering Daphne Caruana Galizia named him as one of two politicians who “issued instructions” for the failed HSBC armed robbery in 2010, lawyer Jason Azzopardi testified on Monday.

The former Nationalist minister was giving evidence in libel proceedings filed by Abela over a Facebook post in which Azzopardi claimed that Abela had helped the mastermind behind the botched robbery in 2010.

In that post, uploaded in April 2021, Azzopardi also claimed that Abela had received a €300,000 payment for his role in the plot.

Those allegations were categorically denied as “lies” by the former PL minister who promptly sued Azzopardi for libel.

When the case resumed on Monday, Azzopardi’s lawyer, Joseph Zammit Maempel, informed the court that since the previous sitting, George and Alfred Degiorgio had issued a public statement that was circulated to all media organisations.

A copy of that two-page sworn affidavit, published on January 6, was being produced in evidence in the libel case.

Azzopardi himself briefly took the witness stand to present the document, explaining that he had personally printed a copy of the affidavit issued by the Degiorgio brothers.

“To date, as far as I am aware, that statement has not been rebutted and Abela took no action against those who named him in relation to the HSBC hold-up,” said Azzopardi, in the presence of the applicant who was also present in court.

Azzopardi’s lawyer informed the court that the Degiorgios would be summoned to verify that affidavit published in their names.

The case continues.

Lawyer Pawlu Lia is assisting Abela.

Lawyer Joseph Zammit Maempel is assisting Azzopardi.