PN MP David Thake has sued Labour media over a story published on Wednesday alleging that he reached an agreement with tax authorities only after his outstanding dues were exposed by the media.

The story, published on the online portal of One News as well as by One TV, was titled “Thake Ihallas Biss Wara Li Nkixef Li Ma Hallasx il-VAT.”

Yet within hours of that publication, the MP announced in a Facebook post that he was to sue One News for libel, claiming that whilst accepting the fact that “politics can be rough,” there was a limit to that.

“Enough is enough,” claimed Thake.

On Thursday, his lawyer, Andrew Borg Cardona, filed an application before the Magistrates’ Court against Edward Montebello as editor, Samuel Lucas as the journalist who penned the story and One TV.

Statements of fact in the story were false and were libelous, intended simply to tarnish the applicant’s reputation, the court was told.

Thake called upon the respondents to make good the damages to be liquidated by the court.

The allegedly libellous publication followed upon revelations by Times of Malta in December that Thake’s company, Vanilla Telecoms, owed some €270,000 in unpaid VAT dues and was engaged in discussions with the Inland Revenue Department over the pending bill. 

Thake confirmed that his company had an outstanding bill, providing a break down of the sums due as tax, interest and penalties, pointing out that the company owed VAT because it had “always scrupulously declared every cent of its sales.” 

Moreover he subsequently requested the Standards Commissioner to look into whether his company’s actions compromised his position as an MP.