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PN’s head of news alleges ‘media pressure’
Nathaniel Attard claims “pressure” on Media.Link not to investigate Chinese billionaire’s interest in purchasing Maltese passport
22 January 2014, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
The Nationalist Party's media house's head of news, Nathaniel Attard, is insisting that the Media.Link's crew was within its rights to film an alleged Chinese billionaire seeking to purchase a Maltese passport, at Malta International Airport.
Attard said reports of the Chinese billionaire were first published in The Sunday Times and l-Orizzont, and that the public interest this generated warranted that Media.Link follow up on the story.
"In the last hours, there has been pressure on our newsroom to stop investigating this story," Attard said, without specifying what sort of pressure had been forced on the Media.Link newsroom.
Attard said that MaltaToday had reported that the government had informed the Malta International Airport authorities - which is also partially owned by the Maltese government as a shareholder - to investigate who had leaked information on the Chinese applicant for a Maltese passport under the Individual Investor Programme.
The Media.Link crew was not filming in a restricted zone, but MIA says it was carrying out an internal probe. The airport said that none of its staff could have had access to passenger manifests.
"The authorities must protect all news media in their work and not find news ways of intimidating them," Attard said.
The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM) said that Attard had called on the institute for its protection. "Journalists, photographers and camerapersons should be allowed the freedom to do their jobs, especially when this is in a public place, they are not breaking any regulations and when the subject is of news value, which they feel is of national interest," the IGM said.
Last week the IGM felt it had to defend the right to the confidentiality of the source of journalists after the police said it was going to request the court to order the editor of MaltaToday to reveal the source of information that he had received in connection with the fuel procurement scandal.
"Every medium can chose what is of news value and the IGM appeals for this harassment of journalists should not be repeated."
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Dear Nathaniel,
How do you know that this Chinese national came here to make use of the IIP?
Maybe you should investigate that? We are not asking you to reveal sources. I'm sure the internal MIA investigation will see to that. U hallina trid!!!!
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Mr.Attard give us a break ,why don you investigate the one who forgot to declare 5 years in a row , who forgot to declare his swiss bank account.DO YOU THINK WE ARE STUPID.
Micheal Bonanno •
The question is not about the pressure used on Medialinks but WHO LEAKED THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF THE CHINESE POTENTIAL IIP CUSTOMER!. I'm against transfers, but cases of sensitive areas, I, for one concur with transfers. This is a case in point.
Mark Fenech •
Dawn l-anqas jistħu ma jafu. Din min fejn ġejja l-pressjoni. Naturalment min-nies tagħhom stess, għax żgur in-nies tal-kummerċ kellmu lid-deputati taghhom u qalulhom li l-PN sejjer ikompli jitlef il-voti b'dawn it-tattiċi li ma jixirqux lil pajjiż ċivilizzat. Il-veru l-aħħar azzjoni ta' nhar it-Tnejn urew kemm huma mbiċilli u ma jixirqilhom jissejħu ġurnalisti.
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NEMMNUH? :)
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La lilu u lanqas il-Gurnalisti li lanqas il-paga shiha ma jithallsu MA NEMMEN!
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People old enough to reason with their own grey matter know that Joseph Muscat -our beloved Leader - may he live a thousand years and so on took everybody for ride. Is anybody out their ready to believe that we are having or will continue enjoying freedom of the press. Ask journalists from this paper and forget about MediaLink. I think I can bank on an honest reply from these pople that matter.
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Media Link crew was PESTERING a Billionaire who came to see what our country can offer.you should have done the same when Toto Rina use to live here.
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Nathaniel - xejn ma nghidlek, int u shabek oqghodu ferm attenti li ma tkomplux taghmlu hsara lill-pajjizna biex "minghalikom" tagevolaw lil simon Busuttil. Wisq nibza' li attitudni bhal din iggib ir-rabbja u stmerrija tal-maggoranza kbira tal-Maltin. U mbghad meta tkun fatta, ikollkhom veru ghalfejn tibku.
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"harassment of journalists should not be repeated.".... this should read "harassment of journalists on ordinary people should not be repeated." What was the news value? So many millionaires come over to Malta and nobody gives a damn. By the way, Sur Nathaniel, int ghadek tahdem gratis ma Media link, jew? Ghadek tiekol minn gewwa? Shabek il-gurnalisti ghadhom bla buqxiex? Dawn huma l-mistoqsijiet ta' news value, halli naraw il-flus li ghaddilkom il-poplu Malti fejn marru.
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IGM. The harassment was done by media.link journalists. Surely, the top PN official who was taking part in the harassment, is not a journalist !
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So the so-called journalists of the PN believe that they have the right to harass a foreign private citizen, who may be interested in investing in Malta. Nahseb aqta kemm kellhom hsieb genwin meta qaghdu jiffastidjawh ! La mill-ewwel deher li ma riedx ikellimhom, ma kellhom ebda dritt jibqghu jiffittawh ! IMISSKHOM TISTHU ! U jkun imisshom isthu wkoll l-IGM li qeghdin jiddefendu dan l-att tal-misthija !!!!
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Miskin qed tara qeghdin taht pressjoni. Qalbi gabili perzuta. Halluna b'min tridu titnejju. Ghax ma qalx li tal-Media.Link setaw naffruh lil dan il-biljunarju Ciniz. L-ghira hemm qeda ghax jafu li l-iskema se ggib il-gid. Veru tal-misthija dak li gara fl-ajruport. Tal-PN, l-hsara kollha li qed jghamlu, qed jghamluha lill-Malta mhux lill-PL. Il-PL hemm se jibqa, fil-gvern b'sahhtu permezz tal-mandat li tah il-poplu.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
""In the last hours, there has been pressure on our newsroom to stop investigating this story," Could MR Attard specify please?
If they have the right to report such matters, does not the Authorities have the right to investigate if somebody at MIA was giving away reserved information?
