A lawyer representing the family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has told a court that her sons had been advised by the police not to return to Malta.
This emerged as the libel cases filed by Minister Chris Cardona and aide Joe Gerada against Caruana Galizia's heirs came to a sudden and unexpected end before Magistrate Francesco Depasquale this morning.
Cardona and Gerada had sued for libel over allegations published by Caruana Galizia in 2017, suggesting that they had visited a German brothel whilst on a taxpayer-funded trip to Germany.
This morning, lawyer Pawlu Lia for Gerada, presented an application and made reference to the oath of Matthew, Andrew and Paul Caruana Galizia, as the three men had not turned up for the sitting.
Making reference to the oath is a legal procedure in which an absent party is deemed to have admitted fault. "From day one I wanted to bring the defendant to testify, I was never allowed this opportunity," said Lia.
Lawyer Joe Zammit Maempel, for the Caruana Galizias then requested the cases filed by Chris Cardona be deemed to have been dropped on account of the fact that Cardona had not shown up for any of the recent hearings. "If you're going to play these games, we can too" said Zammit Maempel.
Zammit Maempel explained to the court that Andrew Matthew and Paul Caruana Galizia are not in Malta and this on the recommendation of the police, but would be filing a note in the acts of the proceedings, stating that Peter Caruana Galizia would take his sons' place.
Lia countered, saying that he was informed that there was no such recommendation on the part of the police, accusing the other party of "inventing" this allegation.
"That's why I have had two policemen behind my door for the past four years," retorted Peter Caruana Galizia.
In view of Zammit Maempel's request, the court ordered that the cases filed by Cardona be struck off.
As the sitting ended, Lia declared that he would be "assessing his position according to law after the defendant's actions."
from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2J0Vlxh
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