Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1360420
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 APRIL 2021 NEWS Delivery fee of just €1 per day for orders up to 5 newspapers per address To subscribe 1. Email us your choice of newspapers, recipient's name, address, contact number to production @millermalta.com 2. Forward cheques payable to Miller Distributors Ltd on address: Miller House, Airport Way, Tarxien Road, Luqa LQA1814 Queries on other news- papers and magazines, production@ millermalta.com maltatoday Same-day delivery of your favourite Sunday newspaper Monday-Friday MaltaToday Midweek • €1 BusinessToday • €1.50 Sunday MaltaToday • €1.95 ILLUM • €1.25 Support your favourite newspaper with a subscription https://bit.ly/2X9csmr Cases 29,548 Active 536 Recoveries 28,610 Deaths 402 Vaccines 237,806 LATEST COVID-19 www.maltatoday.com.mt/covid19 MALTESE newsrooms are deeply concerned by a magis- trate's decision to charge jour- nalists with contempt of court over the publication of stories that are certainly of major pub- lic interest. Magistrate Rachel Monte- bello last year ordered news organisations not to publish any stories originating from data extracted from the phone of Yorgen Fenech, who is fac- ing charges for the murder of journalist Daphne Caru- ana Galizia. This order was intended so that the murder proceedings would not be un- duly influenced. Since then, Times of Malta published a number of stories that the magistrate deemed to make "clear reference" to mes- sages exchanged by Fenech. However, these stories did not have anything to do with the Caruana Galizia murder. They were all matters related to wrongdoing by public of- ficials which merited timely action to be taken, confirm- ing that the public had a right to know about them. The articles were respon- sibly tackled following in- tensive legal advice and a careful con- sideration of the public in- terest. Interpreting these stories as prejudicial to Fenech's case means that any stories in which Fenech may be in- volved cannot be published, even if they are of timely pub- lic interest. This is especially contentious since Fenech was a prominent businessman in- volved in various public-inter- est deals and with close links to the entire political class. Journalists also do not have access to the cache of evidence in question so it is impossible for us to verify whether a tip off has emerged from this doc- ument or from other sources. This blanket ban is therefore highly problematic and severe- ly impinges on the freedom of i n f o r m a t i o n of taxpaying citizens, who have a right to know if pub- lic officials are abusing their posi- tions. It also u n d e r m i n e s the freedom of expression of journalists. M e a n w h i l e , MaltaToday is already facing contempt of court proceed- ings over similar articles, and investigations are underway with regard to other publish- ers, meaning this is an issue affecting the press as a whole. Criminalising such stories is the very opposite of what Mal- ta needs right now in these extraordinary times where institutions are finally taking action after five painful years of inertia. It is pertinent to note that re- cent criminal proceedings on financial crimes were institut- ed on the basis of reports that were obtained by the press and political figures, sometimes at great legal risk to sources, whistleblowers and journal- ists, including the original Panama Papers leak itself. It is also worrying that a magistrate presiding over the case of a journalist's murder, is choosing to err on the side of silencing the fourth estate while giving undue protection and comfort to public officials who abused their positions. The undersigned newsrooms would like to reaffirm our commitment towards pursu- ing truth and informing read- ers, despite the many risks and threats that are made to us on a daily basis. This statement has been signed by: Illum, Lovin Mal- ta, Malta Independent, Mal- taToday, Newsbook, The Shift News and Times of Malta. Newsrooms against contempt of court charges 'Criminalising such stories is the very opposite of what Malta needs right now in these extraordinary times where institutions are finally taking action after five painful years.'