The below statement by Chris Mifsud of MPS is in response to this post of 28 July. As usual, comments sent in response to a statement made in exercise of the right of reply will not be posted.
Dear Mr. Delia,
I write in reference to your article published the day before yesterday regarding an email that Mr Yorgen Fenech sent to me on the 16th November 2018, one week after the 17 Black revelation was made public in the media. Before receiving this email I had never been in discussion with Mr Fenech on the topic and the email came as a surprise to me. Mr Fenech goes on to say that he had engaged a UK media lawyer and lists her recommendations on legal targets to pursue, I never had or have any contact with this lawyer or her firm, but did read about them in a trade journal and mentioned that they were renowned.
In fact I did not comment at all on the legal discussion, but simply told Mr Fenech that he may do as he deems fit and as is in his right, whatever he thought that should be. My choice of words might have not been ideal, if so, for that I apologize. Mr Fenech in his email does not ask my advice on these legal remedies and seemingly ends with the decision or recommendation not to proceed. In no part of my brief reply do I suggest, identify, opine or even mention suing a target list of individuals and/or media houses, I was in this respect the recipient of that message. The journalistic community and clients whom I work with know that I don’t encourage legal action aimed at suppressing independent journalism, firstly – we are not lawyers, secondly and more importantly our industry survives on the freedom of the independent media, without which our role would be redundant. We constantly remind our clients that the independent media is exactly as important to us as their business is.
I kindly ask you to consider reproducing this reply in your article if you think it merits it.
Thank you.
Chris Mifsud