It-Torca editor Alfred Briffa has been fined Lm200 for prejudice of the police commissioner’s right of reply to an article published in the newspaper after an appeals court upheld a request by the attorney general and refused the one made by Mr Briffa.

Following the publication of an article entitled Police demoralised after commissioner’s comments, written by John Pisani on 19 September 2004, Mr Briffa was ordered to pay a Lm50 fine for damage done to the image of the Police Corps. He was declared to have edited the commissioner’s replies in a way that prejudiced his right of reply.

Mr Briffa and the attorney general both appealed against this decision and yesterday the court ruled in favour of the AG and fined Mr Briffa Lm200.