Mark Camilleri found guilty of defamation against Simon Mercieca

Author and former National Book Council chair Mark Camilleri has been found guilty of defamation after a court ruled that he falsely accused Simon Mercieca of being involved in organised crime and accepting payments from the mother of Yorgen Fenech.

The ruling, delivered by Magistrate Rachel Montebello, focused on a blog post published by Camilleri in May 2023, titled ‘The disinformation campaign of Yorgen Fenech.’

In the post, Camilleri alleged that Mercieca received money from Patricia Fenech—Yorgen Fenech’s mother—in return for writing articles that allegedly shifted blame away from her son, who is facing trial in connection with the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Camilleri claimed Mercieca had met Patricia Fenech multiple times and had accepted payment from her. He also went as far as to describe Mercieca as “a loser working for the mafia,” and accused him of serving a criminal network.

However, the court found that Camilleri failed to present any credible evidence supporting the claim that Mercieca had received any form of payment from Fenech. It also ruled that accusing Mercieca of mafia involvement amounted to a serious attack on his character.

The magistrate emphasised that such statements had the potential to seriously harm a person’s reputation, and underscored the principle that Yorgen Fenech, currently awaiting trial, must be presumed innocent.

As a result, Camilleri has been ordered to pay €2,500 in damages to Mercieca, along with covering court costs. The judgment reaffirmed the importance of journalistic responsibility and the legal consequences of making unsubstantiated public accusations.