Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1499169
gen) as a person of interest in the murder of Daphne. It turned out to be a false alarm. The chats, seized from Fenech's mobile phone, are in the posses- sion of several lawyers, naturally with the privilege to handle the relevant evidence for their own case in a court of law. One of the lawyers is Jason Azzopardi who as a former Nationalist MP had no qualms in asking the Fenech family for freebie stays for him and his partner at the Hilton in Tel Aviv, or free meals and days spent at the Hilton pool at Por- tomaso, Malta. Jason Azzopardi's malicious intent was not restricted to me. In 2020, Adrian Delia, then PN leader, presented a judicial pro- test accusing Azzopardi of trad- ing in falsities based on the privi- leged information he had. I have learnt that several peo- ple were also in the know of par- ticular private chats with Yorgen Fenech thanks to Jason Azzo- pardi. The intention, as I under- stand is for Azzopardi to portray others as being party to the con- spiracy to kill a journalist. Jason Azzopardi has blamed me since March 2022 for his fail- ure to get elected to the House. I know that he only has himself to blame and no one else. I also understand how chats, whatever their relevance quench the thirst of readers who are given unprecedented access in- to the private lives of others, or those in power. I will not speak for anyone else, but only for my- self. In normal media environments and different jurisdictions in Eu- rope the use of privileged data to blackmail people and to cause reputational damage is taken very seriously. I was in the dark about Fenech's intentions and his business arrangements with Schembri; and sure enough, I was entirely in the dark about Fenech being a suspect in Daph- ne's assassination. As someone who raises funds for my media companies, I en- gage freely in conversations with many people from all walks of life, always with an expected level of privacy. In the world of the media, owners and editors are sought out by all: prime min- isters, powerful CEOs, the de- fenceless, and even criminals. In Yorgen Fenech's case I was asked for my opinion as a newspaper owner several times. My advice to him, given how I interpreted his umbrage over certain press reports, was always to say the truth. As was the case when he sent me a statement on David Thake (after a story in MaltaToday re- porting then MP Jason Azzo- pardi on Adrian Delia's alleged attempt to derail David Casa's re-election) about Adrian Delia and I told him that if what he is saying is not true I cannot simply tell the journalist to change it, he should publicly deny it. He then sent me a draft to see and later I told him he should send it to all the press and the editor of Mal- taToday and not to me. At the time it would never have crossed my mind that he harboured the darkest of plots. When he complained like so many others would do – in this case about a picture of himself and a title about 17 Black in Mal- taToday – I did nothing about it even though I gave the false im- pression that I had scolded the journalist. So much so the story and picture were never changed. As is the case with numerous complaints, from politicians, businessmen, legal, audit firms and individuals who pester me incessantly as a media owner to remove or edit stories... all my editors past and present will at- test for their editorial independ- ence. Many are the conversations that take place by texting (with its implied risk of leak…). To simply shun potential sources of information is not really part of the trade. I entertain most ap- proaches, before passing judge- ment. Naturally, my conversa- tions take place with an implied expectation of privacy. This idea that one is guilty by association after having spoken to, met with Yorgen Fenech, is unacceptable. Multitudes of pri- vate citizens, businesspeople and many from the political class in- cluding former prime ministers, from both sides of the political spectrum would be guilty of the same. I cannot accept to live under the sword of blackmail. I write this now because I have been in recent days blackmailed to shut up or face the wrath of maverick leakages when it best suits my detractors. I do not point my finger at journalists who ask questions. I point my finger at Jason Azzo- pardi, who gleefully some weeks back celebrated on Facebook the false claims against me by fuel smuggler Darren Debono, just days before the Rosianne Cutajar WhatsApp leaks. I knew then, upon learning that even my pri- vate chats had been leaked, that those with privileged access to the criminal evidence were il- legally leaking selected chats to selected journalists or bloggers. Azzopardi revels in malice, hypocrisy, association by guilt and manipulation – the val- ues no person should aspire to have - and I find that to be evil. I have lost my patience with the coordinated attacks on my media companies, and not only from Jason Azzopardi. In re- cent weeks I reported the leak of Jason Azzopardi to the po- lice. I blame him for this state of affairs. I have provided hard and irrefutable evidence of Az- zopardi passing on privileged information (chats) to third parties. And what I write here about this former MP is only an infinitesimal small percent- age of all things he has hidden from the public, including his cosy relationship with the busi- ness community some which he once reviled or accused of being behind the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. I have lost my patience. I will if necessary fearlessly confront this campaign aimed at causing damage to my companies, while others look on, praying that they will not be touched by these un- derhand attacks based on the premise of association by guilt - fearful to speak up lest they are attacked and shamed. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 MAY 2023 OPINION 5 Saviour Balzan is founder and co- owner o f Media Today publisher of MaltaToday, he is a TV host and pollster I cannot accept to live under the sword of blackmail. I write this now because I have been in recent days blackmailed to shut up or face the wrath of maverick leakages when it best suits my detractors. I do not point my finger at journalists who ask questions. I point my finger at Jason Azzopardi