BishopAccountability.org
	Abuse Victim's Comments 'Shockingly Opportunist' – Journalist By Francesca Vella Malta Independent October 4, 2011 http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=133065 Journalist Karl Stagno Navarra has reacted to a story published in yesterday's edition of this newspaper, saying that comments made by sexual abuse victim Lawrence Grech were "false and shockingly opportunist". Two days ago, MaltaToday ran a front page story in which Mr Grech claims he had been offered money in exchange for an interview with the Al Jazeera television news network during the Pope's visit to Malta, but that the promised payment never materialised. But MaltaToday failed to report that it had been one of the newspaper's own staff journalists, Mr Stagno Navarra – who also works as a local stringer for Al Jazeera – who had offered Mr Grech and fellow abuse victim Joseph Magro money in exchange for an interview with the network, according to the victims themselves. Reacting, Mr Stagno Navarra said: "While publicly saying that he is not interested in any compensation, he now conjures a story where he alleges that I – as correspondent for Al Jazeera – offered him money to appear on television". The journalist insisted that Mr Grech's statement is a blatant lie to the extent that he comes to say this more than a year after Pope Benedict's visit to Malta. Mr Stagno Navarra asked: "If it was true that he gave the interview because of the money offered, why is it that he or any other abuse victim never called me since, to talk about what he claims was promised? A search into my call logs would prove this. Why, after so much time, hasn't Mr Grech sought legal redress? he asked, going on to note that in his comments to The Malta Independent, Mr Grech alleges that Al Jazeera 'hired' a police officer to keep other journalists from approaching the victims at the press centre. Saying this is another blatant lie, Mr Stagno Navarra called on the police commissioner to verify the allegation. He said the police officer concerned was a superintendent in charge of security at the press centre and was simply there because Mr Grech was going to be interviewed after his meeting with the Pontiff. "Mr Grech's allegation is so untrue that he conveniently failed to mention that the superintendent refused to allow him to enter the press centre and it was only thanks to the head of the Department of Information that he was interviewed on the day." During the broadcast, said Mr Stagno Navarra, you could hear a loud verbal argument that developed between the superintendent and the DOI head in the presence of members of the media. He goes on to say that Mr Grech conveniently attempted to link him to Lou Bondi – his former spokesman – because Al Jazeera hires a cameraman employed by Where's Everybody. "The cameraman has been contracted by Al Jazeera for the past four years and is considered to be the best on the island. I never needed Mr Bondi to interview Mr Grech." Mr Stagno Navarra added that the sexual abuse victim also failed to produce any written contract for exclusivity and payment. Neither did Mr Grech send the journalist an invoice, even after the publication of stories in which it was reported that BBC had refused to pay Mr Grech for interviews during the Papal visit. "Mr Grech would do well to reflect on his allegations and understand that by creating such stories he is undermining his and his fellow victims' plight for justice and compensation from the Church." The sexual abuse victim also failed to produce any written contract for exclusivity and payment
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.