Former Times of Malta journalist Ivan Camilleri filed a libel suit against Media Today managing editor Saviour Balzan over an article claiming that Camilleri had tipped off murder suspect Yorgen Fenech of his arrest.

The article in question, titled Times sacks Ivan Camilleri after an alleged tip-off to Yorgen Fenech mentioned in court was published on December 20. It claimed that Allied Newspapers, which owns The Times, fired Camilleri in connection with a message Fenech received on the eve of his attempted escape from Portomaso harbour.

In a statement, Camilleri said he had already categorically denied that he had in any way communicated with Fenech on any alleged tip-off as claimed by Malta Today.

“As a matter of fact, it resulted that it was not true that this ‘alleged tip-off’ by Camilleri, mentioned so prominently in Balzan’s article, was referred to in court as was claimed by Malta Today,” he said.

In the libel suit, Camilleri asked the court to declare Malta Today and Balzan’s actions as libellous and defamatory, based on unfounded and false allegations.

Lawyer Peter Fenech filed the suit.