Nationalist Party Fgura councillor Mark Lombardo was ordered to pay former Fgura mayor Anthony Degiovanni Lm2,500 after he was found guilty of libelling Mr Degiovanni in August 2001.

Former In-Nazzjon editor John Zammit was ordered to pay Lm500.

Mr Degiovanni had filed a libel suit following the publication of a letter in the PN’s daily newspaper on 23 August 2001.

He complained that the letter, signed by Mr Lombardo, was defamatory and aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

Handing down her judgement, magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera said that the comment that Mr Degiovanni was “deceiving” Fgura residents was unfair and the letter from Mr Lombardo was written in order to tarnish Mr Degiovanni’s reputation.

She therefore ordered Mr Lombardo to pay Mr Degiovanni Lm2,500 in damages.

She also ordered Mr Zammit to pay Mr Degiovanni a further Lm500 in damages.