Former Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi has lost a libel suit filed against fellow Nationalist MEP David Casa. 

The proceedings were instituted after comments given by Mr Casa to Malta Today wherein he said that the PL MEP was leasing office premises from her daughter “payment free, necessarily implying these funds are pocketed”.

When testifying in court, Ms Mizzi had explained how she had been offered the premises, owned by her daughter, in Strait Street, Valletta, to be used as an office.

“I’m a person of integrity. No one ever pointed a finger at me,” the MEP had said.

When delivering judgment on Wednesday, the court, presided over by magistrate Rachel Montebello, observed that the fact that Ms Mizzi used the office free of charge “could not but signify, inevitably and objectively that the applicant was being spared an expense she would have had to fork out of the general expense allowance”.

The former MEP was a political figure and the comment made by Mr Casa was a criticism levied against a public person within the ambit of the political debate over the need of transparency in the use of public funds.

The court turned down the applicant’s claim, stating that Mr Casa’s comments had not been “malicious” but were “an expression of opinion on a matter of public interest”.

Neither of the parties were present in court when judgment was delivered.  Meanwhile, the applicant’s lawyers gave notice of appeal. 

Lawyer Jason Azzopardi assisted Mr Casa. Lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo assisted Ms Mizzi.