Jason Azzopardi Tells Police About ‘Bulgarian Paid €1,500 An Hour’ To Create Fake Websites As Newsbook Spoof Appears Online
Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi has written to Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa to inform him about the identity of the person behind fake websites posing as the local press, which have appeared online in recent days.
This afternoon, a fake website purporting to be Newsbook.com.mt appeared online with another fake article about Azzopardi, a Nationalist MP and the Caruana Galizia family lawyer.
In a Facebook post, Azzopardi said he had written to Gafa to ask him to investigate this “criminal behaviour”.
“I also indicated to him in advance who is behind these fake websites that are being set up to discredit those fighting for truth and justice for Daphne,” Azzopardi said.
“My message to the brains behind this dirt: neither you, nor your coked-up accomplice, nor the Bulgarian IT expert you are paying €1,500 an hour to conjure up this dirt will scare or stop me.”
Speaking to Lovin Malta, Newsbook editor Fr Joe Borg confirmed that the website had been reported to the police.
He said it was clear that there were still people in Malta who intended to continue threatening the free press and by extension, the country’s democracy.
“It is ironic that all this is happening days after the anniversary of Daphne’s murder. She was murdered because of her journalistic work and here we have people who are still trying to hinder and silence the media by creating spoofs of news websites, this time Newsbook,” Borg said.
Malta currently finds itself in the midst of a disinformation campaign by as yet unknown individuals.
On Thursday, a fake website posing as Manuel Delia’s blog was also set up and is disseminating false information claiming to come from the journalist-activist.
This follows weeks of fake emails being sent to the country’s newsrooms.
The actions have been condemned by civil society as well as Opposition leader Bernard Grech, who has called on the Prime Minister to do the same.
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