A journalist accused of shoplifting by a newspaper told the supermarket owner that the incident had been a one-off but paid him €5,000 in two installments “so as to put the owner’s mind at rest,” a court heard on Wednesday.
Valyou supermarket director Ray Mintoff told the court that CCTV cameras at the Naxxar supermarket had captured the incident in question and that the journalist, Ivan Camilleri, had paid for the items there and then.
Mr Camilleri is a former Times of Malta journalist. He was dismissed in December 2019.
Mr Camilleri is being sued for defamation by MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan, in relation to a response Mr Camilleri had penned in reaction to an article by Mr Balzan alleging that the journalist had been the subject of a “shoplifting incident”.
Sources had leaked the story to Mr Balzan, who called one of the supermarket owners, Mr Mintoff, to confirm the veracity of the claims.
Mr Balzan had called Mr Mintoff in the presence of MaltaToday executive editor Matthew Vella, and had later transcribed the telephone conversation which he read out in court.
“Let him [Camilleri] be! He’s no politician. He’s a family man,” Mr Mintoff had allegedly told Mr Balzan, explaining that he had decided not to take any action against Mr Camilleri.
“He refunded me in full.”
However, supermarket employees had allegedly told Mr Balzan that it had not been a one-off occurrence, but that Mr Camilleri had been “shoplifting for a long time.”
Mr Balzan wrote that the journalist had been confronted by the owners and had reached an agreement to repay money over a period of time.
However, Mr Camilleri had allegedly told Balzan that it was all “a fiction of his imagination and a filthy lie.”
Mr Balzan told the court that he was not after a “pound of flesh” but rather wanted to clear his name.
“I’m not interested in damages, but to clear the allegations in my regard” said Mr Balzan. “I don’t wish to break a person or put him down…more than he already is.”
Mr Mintoff was the next to testify, telling the court that he had been driving alone in his car when he had received a call from Mr Balzan about the allegations.
Mr Mintoff had specifically asked the caller, knowing he was a journalist, whether the call was being recorded. Mr Balzan had allegedly answered that it was not an official call, pressing further for confirmation.
The supermarket owner said that he had insisted that he had spoken to Mr Camilleri, had accepted his version and had decided not to prosecute.
"To me, it wasn't shoplifting," the supermarket owner said.
Mr Mintoff said he always summoned people to his office whenever a suspicious incident was reported, and he had done the same in this case.
"lf I were to take all suspicious cases to court, it would need more than a session a week," Mr Mintoff said.
Pressed further by Mr Balzan’s lawyer, Veronique Dalli, the witness explained how he had summoned Mr Camilleri to ask whether it had been a solitary incident.
Mr Camilleri had assured him that it had been a one-off episode but offered to pay an amount “so as to put the owner’s mind at rest.”
That amount was €5,000, paid in two instalments, explained Mr Mintoff.
The case continues in March.
Lawyers Veronique Dalli and Andrew Saliba assisted the applicant.
Lawyer Peter Fenech assisted the respondent.