By Kurt Sansone

When news of the magisterial inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment against Police Commissioner George Grech broke in MaltaToday and another paper, some sections of the media embarked on a campaign to discredit the woman making the allegations and her husband.

Drug barons and criminal individuals were intimated to be behind the allegations, especially by the Nationalist Party, Sunday newspaper, Il-Mument.

MaltaToday is today publishing a statement by the aggrieved couple, who made the allegations against the Commissioner. They deny any wrong-doing on their part and disassociate themselves from drug barons & criminals. The full statement states:
"The complaints filed were never orchestrated or vindictive. We are not involved in any criminal activity. We are not involved in any drugs, money, contraband, clandestines; we are not involved in any illegal business, or anything else. Nothing of nothing!

We have been harassed, and the evidence submitted to the courts will, in time amply prove and justify the actions taken."

Although the Commissioner was an acquaintance of the couple for a number of years, the aggrieved persons categorically denied that there had ever been a ‘relationship’. Evidence in front of the magisterial inquiry allegedly points towards a developing obsession by Mr Grech for the woman.

However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was a particular incident which occurred in November last year, at the woman’s house. Following the incident, which allegedly involved Mr Grech, the woman’s husband reported the case to the Prime Minister on two occasions, both in December of last year.

MaltaToday is informed that after the couple reported the incident to the Prime Minister they received a number of threats. The woman is also reported as having been followed by plain-clothes policemen and uniformed officers. The situation eventually became intolerable and the couple had to engage the services of a private security firm.

Information obtained by MaltaToday, including a card written by the Police Commissioner in which he reproduced a photograph of himself wearing a SMOM uniform, indicates that George Grech used his authoritative position to impress the woman.

Meanwhile, the outcome of the case may have political repercussions especially after the bungled way in which Government handled the whole issue. The Prime Minister and the Home Affairs Minister have both washed their hands off the case, despite repeated calls by this newspaper to express their opinion on the matter.