The court of appeal yesterday confirmed a judgement issued by the First Hall of the Civil Court in 2002 ordering Investments, Industry and Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt to pay Lm800 in damages to Opposition Leader Alfred Sant.

The appeal, handed down by Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano, Mr Justice Joseph Camilleri and Mr Justice Joseph Filletti, confirmed a previous judgement given by Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo on 12 November 2002, when Dr Gatt was ordered to pay Lm800 damages to Dr Sant.

The Opposition Leader had filed a writ for damages against Dr Gatt and against Michael Caruana, deputy editor of the newspaper In-Nazzjon.

Dr Sant claimed he had been defamed by a speech made by Dr Gatt at the general council of the Nationalist Party on 7 December, 1997 and the speech was reported in In-Nazzjon on 8 December, 1997.

Dr Sant requested the court to condemn both defendants to pay him libel damages.