The Maltese Herald has been the only Maltese press outlet to extensively investigate Malta’s major oil-bunkering company, the Azeri-owned Alkagesta. We have explained in extensive detail the operations of this company, its activity in Russian oil trading, contraband-Libyan oil, and its hidden ownership. Its owner was also arrested in Azerbaijan over oil trafficking and fraud.
Alkagesta’s has its origins in SOCAR mainly through its hidden owner Adnan Ahmdazada . There are also interesting links between the clique of traders related to Alkagesta and the activity of SOCAR in Malta and Yorgen Fenech. For more information you can read this article. If you have any relevant information, you can send me an email on markcamilleri@autistici.org or contact me on Signal on +35677007909.
Our investigation into Alkagesta was also picked up internationally.
Since we published our investigation, Alkagesta has gone on an advertising spree in the local press to ingratiate itself with local editors and avoid further scrutiny.
In addition, Alkagesta began an online campaign of literal and well-documented fraud, consisting of online vandalism against our press. One of these actions involved reproducing our articles on Tumblr and submitting fraudulent and vexatious trademark reports to Google.
Alkagesta has also engaged foreign lawyers and academics to carry out these fraudulent actions.
In addition, Alkagesta has flooded our Instagram and Facebook accounts with vexatious trademark and copyright infringement reports. The reports numbered in the hundreds and were submitted consistently and systematically, with the eventual result that Meta closed our Instagram account and restricted our Facebook accounts. This is hampering our ability to operate in a free and independent press market.
Alkagesta’s campaign of online vandalism is systematic, relentless, and very well resourced.
Meanwhile, we have also experienced a heightened level of other forms of online vandalism by local actors since the start of Yorgen Fenech’s trial. We have also received a legal letter from Nicole Junkermann, who is on the Jeffrey Epstein list.
Currently, the pressure on us is systematic.
We are not profitable as a press outlet, and our work is carried out mainly for its social value rather than for profit. We therefore urge our readers to subscribe to our website through this link and to support us with donations or by purchasing books from our online shop.
Meanwhile, we will not stay put when faced with these transgressions, and we will be rolling out a series of actions to address this systematic pressure.
We have filed a police report against Alkagesta for fraud.
We have filed a police report for fraud against Alkagesta, and we will be taking extraordinary legal measures to address Alkagesta’s online vandalism. We believe that the Maltese State should protect its press and its citizens from actors who conduct business in Malta while acting in bad faith.
We are seeking redress through the EU authorities.
The reports submitted to Meta are vexatious and fraudulent, and we would like to ensure that online platforms treat us fairly.
We will seek policy changes at EU level.
Online platforms in Europe should not elevate fraudulent and criminal behaviour at the expense of a free press. Online platforms are also infrastructural components of the information market. Restricting the free and independent press on online platforms goes against the spirit and the law of a free-speech society and of open online platforms. We cannot be in a situation in which online platforms are weaponised by states, criminal groups and bad actors while the voice of the press is restricted. The free press is a pillar of our democratic society, and restricting its infrastructural and market access also restricts free speech in society.
For any information about Alkagesta, you may contact me on the addresses above.
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
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