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What are we to believe?
19 August: I had no sex with the woman
11 October: I had sex with the woman

The Police Commissioner’s mid-week admission in open court that he had a relationship with Isabelle Azzopardi, contradicts his nation wide statements on Radio 101 and Bondicini, where he insisted in the presence of his wife that he had nothing whatsoever to do with the Polish-born woman. Ms Azzopardi had alleged that Mr Grech attempted to rape her.

The Constitutional case filed by George Grech aims to determine if his human rights were breached by the inquiry conducted by Magistrate Miriam Hayman.

Mr Grech shed doubts on Magistrate Hayman’s impartiality in the case because of what he alleged was her ‘friendship’ with Ms Azzopardi.

Legal sources have told MaltaToday that Mr Grech’s detailed and explicit accounts including the sexual relationship he claims to have had with Ms Azzopardi jarred with the nature of the Constitutional case.

"The Commissioner used the witness box to give his side of the story," the sources said. "George Grech questioned the integrity of Ms Azzopardi in a court where she has no representation."

On Thursday 11 October, George Grech admitted in court that he had an 18-month relationship with the Polish-born Maltese woman. Mr Grech said that Isabelle Azzopardi wanted him to leave his wife and threatened to report him to the Prime Minister if he refused.

Speaking under oath, Mr Grech said that when Ms Azzopardi saw that her plan to report him to the Prime Minister had failed, she decided to go public. However the first story about the case was published in MaltaToday eight months after the alleged rape.

Mr Grech’s public admission contrasts with the statement he made on Radio 101 on Sunday 19 August when the story hit the headlines in MaltaToday. Asked by the radio host to identify the reasons behind the allegations, Mr Grech linked the root of the stories to his job as Police Commissioner.

"There are several reasons, which include my behaviour as Police Commissioner and the decisions I take from time to time, which can be unpopular with many people," Mr Grech had replied.

In court on Thursday, Mr Grech gave a detailed account of his intimate moments with Ms Azzopardi. This included his version of how Ms Azzopardi’s body suit presented as evidence in the inquiry got stained. The former Police Commissioner said that at one point during a sexual encounter Ms Azzopardi remained with a bathing-like costume on. He explained that she removed the top part of the suit but left the bottom part on while they were having sex. During this encounter he was lying face up on the bed.

Mr Grech denied any wrongdoing and said that he did not break any law because the relationship was consensual throughout.

George Grech then explained his objection to Magistrate Hayman’s role in the inquiry. He said that a few days after he allegedly broke up with Ms Azzopardi he saw Magistrate Hayman and Ms Azzopardi herself together with a Chinese woman entering the Yacht Club at Manoel Island.

During the proceedings, Mr Grech said nothing about his alleged involvement with Ms Azzopardi’s mother, Kazimiera Basaraba. It has been claimed that Mr Grech had an affair with Ms Basaraba in 1999.

The magisterial inquiry started in January this year after Ms Azzopardi’s husband spoke on two occasions to the Prime Minister. The alleged attempted rape is supposed to have occurred on 22 November 2000 at the woman’s house.

Two days before Mr Grech’s testimony in the Constitutional court, the conclusions of the magisterial inquiry were leaked to the Labour media. During his testimony Mr Grech confirmed that the inquiry indicated five criminal charges that could be brought against him. The inquiry is now in the Attorney General’s hands and he has to decide what step to take next.

Magistrate Hayman’s inquiry found that there was prima facie evidence for George Grech to be prosecuted on charges of attempted rape, misuse of public funds, misuse of the telephone system, threat and blackmail.