IĠM condemns ex-minister Chris Cardona’s 'irresponsible comments' against journalists

The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) has strongly condemned former minister Chris Cardona for what it described as "irresponsible comments" targeting reporters who covered his court testimony earlier this week.

Cardona, who served as a minister from 2013 to 2020, appeared in court on Wednesday, where he admitted to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vitals Global Healthcare in 2014 without reading it. During his testimony, Cardona stated that he had signed the MOU and similar agreements because he was “told to do so.”

Following the court sitting, Cardona took to Facebook to criticise reports published by Times of Malta and MaltaToday, accusing the journalists of misrepresenting his testimony. He also took aim at coverage from Newsbook and The Malta Independent, which had similarly reported on his statements under oath.

MaltaToday stands by its reporting of the court hearing.

In a separate court hearing on Thursday, Cardona claimed that his testimony had been misreported, stating that he did read the MOU before signing it.

In response to Cardona's comments, the IĠM issued a statement on Friday expressing solidarity with the court journalists and condemning Cardona’s accusations. The IĠM emphasised that the news reports were an accurate reflection of his testimony and criticised Cardona for using social media to attack journalists, warning that such actions could incite hatred against the press.

"As a former politician, Cardona should know better than to sound the dog whistle to instigate hate against journalists," the IĠM said. "The IĠM expresses its full support for court reporters, who have the unenviable job of keeping the public informed about what transpires in our courts."