Jason Azzopardi has vowed to appeal the court’s decision in a libel case brought against him by former minister Carmelo Abela, after being ordered to pay €7,000 in damages.

The case stemmed from a 2021 Facebook post in which Azzopardi accused Abela of involvement in the failed 2010 HSBC Qormi armed robbery.

Despite the ruling against him, Azzopardi is determined to challenge the judgment, citing both legal and factual grounds for appeal.

Azzopardi pointed to what he believes is a factual error in the court’s decision, specifically the claim that Abela was a private citizen at the time of the robbery.

Azzopardi insists that Abela was, in fact, a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker at the time, making him a public figure. Azzopardi stated that this error and other arguments will form the basis of his appeal.

While the court, presided over by Magistrate Rachel Montebello, ruled that Azzopardi’s allegations were defamatory, the former PN MP remains firm in his stance.

He argued that the truth is immutable, and if necessary, he is prepared to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to ensure justice is served. Azzopardi also alleged that a cover-up involving the police and criminal elements remains hidden, and he is determined to expose it.

The original libel suit was filed after Azzopardi claimed that Alfred Degiorgio, one of the alleged hitmen in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination, had received plans and false keys for the HSBC robbery just days before the heist. He also accused convicted hitman Vince Muscat of attending a meeting with Degiorgio at a Fleur-de-Lys apartment, where the bank plans were allegedly exchanged in the presence of Abela and former minister Chris Cardona.

Following the court’s ruling, Azzopardi accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of attempting to orchestrate a smear campaign against him, claiming that individuals linked to the Prime Minister’s office were instructed to publicly attack him. Despite these allegations, Azzopardi declared that he would not be silenced and remains focused on uncovering the truth.

#MaltaDaily