The Court of Criminal Appeals has found former Malta Labour Party President Manuel Cuschieri guilty of defamation to the detriment of Minister Louis Galea.

In the case, which goes back to 2001, Cuschieri, as President of the MLP, ordered, produced and paid for an advertisement to appear in daily newspaper l-orizzont on 19 and 20 April in which the MLP alleged that Minister Galea formed part of a “circle of friends of friends”, one of whom was a drug dealer.

The Criminal Court had already found Cuschieri guilty of defamation, saying that the advertisement did not aim to communicate information of public interest but intended to harm the image of Minister Galea and his integrity.

Cuschieri was therefore fined Lm200.