Joseph Muscat Ordered To Pay Thousands To Ann Fenech After Labour Party’s ‘Panama’ Campaign
Malta’s Prime Minister and the President of the Labour Party have been ordered to pay €2,000 to former PN executive council president Ann Fenech after the latter won two libel suits, the Times of Malta has reported.
The libel suits had been initiated after the Labour Party alleged that Fenech owned secret companies in Panama, as well as claims that she had personally worked on the citizenship scheme and even received million of euros in consultancies under the Gonzi administration.
The allegations that Fenech owned companies in Panama were infamously followed up by billboards featuring Fenech’s face in a mock-up of a film banner, under the title “The Lady In Panama”, and appeared hot on the heels of revelations that Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri owned their own Panama companies.
Magistrate Francesco Depasquale found the Labour Party’s claims to be false
In his judgement, he said that the Labour Party had personally targeted Ann Fenech.
The consultancy fees mentioned were found to have actually been paid to Fenech and Fenech Advocates, and the opening of secret companies in Panama were dealt with by the firm Fenlex.
Fenlex falls under the umbrella of Fenech and Fenech Advocates, which Ann Fenech is the Managing Partner of.
The magistrate said that the Labour Party knew these facts but left them out on purpose, in an attempt to damage Fenech. As such, Joseph Muscat and Daniel Micallef, the Labour Party president, were jointly ordered to pay €2,000 to Fenech for each case.
What do you think of these cases?
READ NEXT: Inside The Muscat Household: Prime Minister And Family On Homework Duties, Domestic Tiffs And Twins’ Public Life Ambitions
