An appeal’s court yesterday ruled former Nationalist Party leader Eddie Fenech Adami to be liable for damages and ordered him to pay court expenses in a libel case after it upheld an appeal filed by Malta Labour Party MP Chris Cardona.

Dr Cardona had originally lost the case after the first court ruled Dr Fenech Adami’s comments on a radio station to be within the parameters of the law. On a radio programme on 5 April 2003, Dr Fenech Adami had claimed some MLP members did not fully agree with the party policies. He had gone on to name Dr Cardona as one of these people and said that Dr Cardona was in favour of Malta joining the EU.

In the appeal, Dr Cardona claimed this did not amount to fair comment and the first court’s consideration of Dr Fenech Adami’s words was incorrect. The appeal’s court said Dr Fenech Adami had failed to prove his comments were in fact true. Therefore, the first court should not have assumed that the former PN’s claims were correct.

In light of this, Dr Fenech Adami should be liable to pay damages. The appeal’s court ruled he should pay the court expenses for both the libel and the appeal and ordered the proceedings to be sent to the first court for the amount of damages to be established.

Dr Pawlu Lia appeared for Dr Cardona while the court was presided over by Mr Justice Philip Sciberras.