MCAST Head Of HR Sues MaltaToday Over Defamation
A Head of Human Resources at MCAST has taken a Maltese newspaper for court over defamation related to two published articles.
Josephine Abdilla is suing MaltaToday after the media house published two articles that contained “a significant number of serious inaccuracies and what appear to be over-malicious fabrications” amounting to what Abdilla considers a “deliberate character assassination”.
“In their articles, MaltaToday state that they are relying on the report of a Board of Inquiry (commissioned by the Ministry of Education and chaired by Mr. Paul Bonello),” Abdilla said, saying she had never seen this report despite requested requests.
“MCAST or any other authority arising either from the report or from any other issues, has taken no action in her regard and Abdilla remains suspended on full pay. She has made representations on her situation to no avail,” she said via her lawyers.
Abdilla and her team said that MaltaToday had quoted unnamed sources, leaving her unable to “respond in depth”.
The suit comes after MaltaToday reported that Abdilla had alleged claims of corruption that were disproved by a ministerial inquiry. She was then reported to the police on grounds of perjury, MaltaToday said.
She continues to receive her full wage at least three years after the inquiry was concluded. She continued to be on paid special leave since July 2018.
Abdilla is represented by lawyers Matthew Cutajar and Andrew Borg-Cardona.
What do you make of Abdilla’s steps against MaltaToday?
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