Mark Camilleri, the author and former National Book Council chairman, has been ordered to appear in court under arrest after failing to turn to a sitting in the case concerning MP Rosianne Cutajar.

Camilleri did not appear in a criminal case concerning charges of harassment against Cutajar, who he has claimed had a romantic affair with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech, who she received a €9,000 gift from and allegedly pocketed thousands more in a property deal.

Camilleri’s lawyer informed the court that the author is currently not residing in Malta and had not been served notice. However, police said that the notice had been issued to Camilleri’s father.

It remains to be seen how authorities will proceed and whether they will pursue an extradition charge to bring him back to the country.

On 28th October 2021, Cutajar sued Camilleri for libel after he claimed in his book A Rent Seeker’s Paradise that she had an affair with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech to advance herself politically and that the murder suspect gave her “corrupt money” on the pretence that she helped him broker a property deal.

A day later, Camilleri offered Cutajar a “trade” – he would delete all his posts about her, including an NFT he had minted of her libel announcement if she quits politics for good.

“I will remove my posts about you, including my NFT of you if you resign from politics completely,” he wrote. “You will never hear of me again if you leave politics.”

“Your alternative is this. Stay in politics, keep up your libel case and I will become your worst nightmare.”

Camilleri attached to this warning a conversation between Fenech and businesswoman Diane Izzo about an impassioned speech Cutajar gave in Parliament during a debate on 17 Black, Fenech’s Dubai-based company linked to government corruption.

Lovin Malta had already reported on this chat a few months earlier.

Cutajar reported Camilleri to the police and the Cybercrime Unit decided to press charges against him for “threatening” and “taunting” her by warning her that he will become “her worst nightmare” unless she quits politics for good.

What do you think of the case?