Lawyer Won’t Explain Why He Dropped Konrad Mizzi As Client In ‘Secret Affair’ Libel Case Against Daphne Caruana Galizia
Konrad Mizzi’s former lawyer has refused to explain why he dropped the independent MP as a client in a longstanding libel case against assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Contacted by Lovin Malta, Aron Mifsud Bonnici said he cannot disclose the reasoning behind his decision due to issues of professional secrecy.
Mizzi had sued Caruana Galizia for libel in 2014 after she claimed that he was having an affair with his then communications aide Lindsey Gambin, with Mifsud Bonnici immediately chosen as his lawyer.
Gambin and Mizzi’s wife Sai Mizzi also sued the journalist.
The case has been dragging on since then and wasn’t dropped after Caruana Galizia was assassinated in 2017, the libel instead passing on to her family.
A shrine to assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
During yesterday’s court sitting, Caruana Galizia’s widower Peter Caruana Galizia summoned Superintendent Keith Arnaud as a witness to confirm that Mizzi and Gambin were both listed as contacts in the phone of murder suspect Yorgen Fenech.
Caruana Galizia’s lawyer Joe Zammit Maempel asked Arnaud whether Gambin was listed as Mizzi’s “lover” in Fenech’s contact, but the Superintendent responded that he wasn’t.
During the sitting, the court also noted that Mizzi’s lawyers Aaron Mifsud Bonnici, Abigail Critien and Christopher Vella had formally renounced their clients brief by virtue of a note filed on 25 October.
The note was filed one day after Sunday Times of Malta reported on WhatsApp messages between Mizzi and Fenech, in which they discussed plans for the development of the ITS site in St Julian’s.
Mizzi had told Fenech they could get things moving with “Aron”, in what was interpreted as a reference to Mifsud Bonnici.
There is no suggestion at this stage that his renouncing the brief is directly linked to the report.
Lawyer Edward Gatt, who was already appearing on behalf of Gambin, will now take on Mizzi’s brief too.
Cover Photo: Left: Aron Mifsud Bonnici (Photo: Mifsud Bonnici Legal & Advisor) Right: Konrad Mizzi (Photo: Facebook)
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