Former chairman of the Malta Book Council Mark Camilleri will be represented by court-appointed curators in a libel suit filed against him by former parliamentary secretary Rosianne Cutajar.

This measure was sought by Cutajar’s lawyers in court on Thursday at the first hearing of the libel proceedings after taking note of the fact that attempts to serve notice of summons upon Camilleri had failed. 

Reading out from the case file, Magistrate Rachel Montebello observed that there was a negative outcome when attempting to notify the respondent.

The court official dispatched to serve notice at Camilleri’s registered address had been informed that the respondent no longer lived there and had left Malta. 

In light of that information, lawyer Mark Vassallo requested the court to authorise the appointment of curators to represent Camilleri in the case.

The court upheld the request, ordering the applicant to file within one week a note with a copy of the electoral register indicating Camilleri’s official address where notice of summons was to be served. 

The court also ordered that this minute should be communicated to the Court Registrar to proceed with the appointment of curators. 

The libel stemmed from a Facebook post wherein Camilleri alleged that the MP had obtained money from Yorgen Fenech to defend him against the accusations he was facing as alleged accomplice in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

In his new book A Rent Seeker’s Paradise Camilleri wrote about an alleged close personal relationship between Cutajar and Fenech after he was outed as the owner of 17 Black.

Cutajar had promptly reacted after the post claiming that she would not let anyone seek popularity for their writings at the expense of her integrity. 

The case continues in February. 

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo are assisting the applicant.