Stop Showing Faces Of People Being Charged, Peppi Azzopardi Argues Following Marsaxlokk Priest Incident
One of Malta’s most popular programme hosts has called on Malta’s media to stop showing the faces and sharing the names of individuals being charged in court.
“Over the last 30 years, I’ve been insisting that people that are charged in court should not be shown on portals or television, because they are innocent, they are accused – why do we need to spread them everywhere?” Peppi Azzopardi asked in a new video shared by Xarabank.
“And then they are found innocent…”
He referred to a recent case were an individual was charged with drug charges… only to be let out as not guilty.
Azzopardi said that a “big scene” was being made in the case of Marsaxlokk parish priest Luke Seguna, who is being accused of misappropriating half a million euro over 10 years. As Seguna was charged in court, he reportedly fell ill, even being led out on a stretcher, an incident which was reported widely.
The former TV host took particular aim at national broadcaster TVM, saying that this was the channel meant to protect the vulnerable, and was instead revelling in the court case.
Azzopardi slammed the use of a picture of Seguna celebrating mass used alongside an article on the case, showing a blurred image that Azzopardi said he had blurred himself.
“They found a photo of him doing the most sacred thing… and they brought the accusations against him, alongside the photo. And this is the national broadcaster.”
“If this guy was a politician, do you think they would have put in the effort to find a photo like this?” he asked.
Azzopardi went a step further, saying there is a reason for the picture used.
“And I believe that using this photo isn’t meant to hurt the priest, but to hurt the church, that is the biggest group in Malta doing social good.”
The state broadcaster had controversially axed Xarabank a few years back. Since then, Azzopardi regularly shares videos with his hot takes and opinions on a variety of regular topics, oftentimes going viral for his stances.
Do you agree with Peppi Azzopardi?
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