An appeal filed by the Attorney General against the acquittal of teen party promoter Joel Caruana on charges related to slandering the police on Facebook after he was refused a permit, has been rejected by the courts.
Mr Caruana has previously been convicted of other crimes, such as in 2010 was sentenced to ten months imprisonment suspended for two years, for engaging in sexual acts with a 13-year-old. He was also convicted of defilement in 2013, when he was photographed cupping a 14-year-old's breast at a party of his.
The police had received correspondence from the Children's Commissioner, informing them that a party was due to take place in December 2013 and was aimed at attracting underage teens, while also indicating that Mr Caruana had previous convictions related to the corruption of minors.
Taking the stand, a police superintendent said he called Caruana telling him not to hold the party. Caruana, the court heard, said he had no problem with the request and posted on Facebook saying that the police had not issued the permit.
The police felt that the commentary on Facebook was insulting and defamatory, eventually filing charges against him.
The Court had cleared Mr Caruana of all charges, which led to this appeal. The Court of Appeal found that the prosecution failed to prove the link between Caruana and the person controlling the page, which would establish the veracity of Mr Caruana's claims that anyone could comment on the page.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/1XYnYI0
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