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The chronicles of a Police Commissioner

22 November 2000
The alleged attempted rape by Police Commissioner George Grech occurs at Isabelle Azzopardi’s house.

28 December 2000
Isabelle’s husband, John, visits Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and tells him about the incident.

29 Decemeber 2000
The Prime Minister informs Mr Azzopardi that he summoned the Police Commissioner and was assured that the harassment would stop.

January 2001
Isabelle Azzopardi bypasses the normal procedure and reports the incident to the court duty magistrate who happens to be Magistrate Miriam Hayman.

Friday, 03 August 2001
The Prime Minister holds a three-hour meeting with Police Commissioner George Grech and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg at the Police Headquarters. It is still not known whether the meeting had anything to do with the allegations.

Sunday, 05 August 2001
MaltaToday reports a brewing clash between George Grech and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg.

Sunday, 12 August 2001
MaltaToday reports that a ‘senior officer faces a magisterial inquiry’ on allegations of sexual harassment. No names are identified. ‘Kullhadd’ carries similar news.

Monday, 13 August 2001
Super One Radio reveals that the person under investigation is Police Commissioner George Grech. Prime Minister and Tonio Borg say they are not informed of the inquiry. Comm. Grech insists that the inquiring magistrate hears his evidence.

Wednesday, 15 August 2001
Police Commissioner tells The Malta Financial and Business Times that he will not resign pending the outcome of the inquiry. Insists that he is innocent.

Sunday, 19 August 2001
On Radio 101 George Grech denies any wrongdoing and links the roots of the story to his job as Police Commissioner.

Tuesday, 21 August 2001
George Grech denies a report carried by One News that he did not appear in front of Magistrate Hayman at a scheduled time.

Wednesday, 22 August 2001
Magistrate Miriam Hayman tells The Malta Financial and Business Times that she has no comments to make to the press.

Thursday, 23 August 2001
George Grech testifies in the inquiry for the first time.

Friday, 24 August 2001
Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami is summoned to testify in front of Magistrate Miriam Hayman. His testimony is very brief.

Sunday, 26 August 2001
MaltaToday reveals that forensic tests on stained clothes belonging to Isabelle Azzopardi are a key to the investigation. A newspaper says that probation officers, ex-colleauges of Ms Azzopardi, were given orders ‘from above’ not to talk to members of the media.

Sunday, 02 September 2001
MaltaToday publishes a statement by the aggrieved couple in which they deny any links to the criminal world.

Sunday, 09 September 2001
Magistrate Miriam Hayman is reported to have expressed her relief that the inquiry made news headlines.

Wednesday, 12 September 2001
George Grech presents a judicial letter asking for the Court registrar to appoint somebody else instead of Magistrate Hayman to conduct the inquiry. He sheds doubt on Magistrate Hayman’s impartiality alleging she was a friend of Ms Azzopardi.

Thursday, 13 September 2001
‘Kullhadd’ journalist Joe Mifsud, reacting to Mr Grech’s judicial letter, files his own judicial note in which he alleges that Mr Grech told him to ‘kill the story’.

Monday, 17 September 2001
The Prime Minister in Parliament tables the first report in five years, on the workings of the Security Service, headed by George Grech.

Tuesday, 18 September 2001
George Grech gives a televised statement on TVM’s Bondicini alongside his wife. Mr Grech implies that he never knew Ms Azzopardi and denies any wrongdoing.

Wednesday, 19 September 2001
Speaking in Parliament Labour leader Alfred Sant says that Mr Grech’s attack on Magistrate Hayman is an attack on the judiciary and questions whether the Police Commissioner used the Security Service to his own ends.

Thursday, 20 September 2001
In a statement the Police Commissioner denies the allegations made by Dr Sant. Mr Grech files a Constitutional case citing that the inquiry is breaching his human rights.

Tuesday, 09 October 2001
Magistrate Hayman presents the inquiry report to the Attorney General. The report is leaked to One News revealing that Magistrate Hayman found sufficient ‘prima facie’ evidence to prosecute Mr Grech on five criminal charges; blackmail, threat, attempted rape, misuse of public funds and misuse of the telephone system.

Wednesday, 10 October 2001
Following a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office Mr Grech goes on indefinite leave. The posts of Police Commissioner and Head of the Secret Service are temporarily filled by Assistant Commissioner Joe Cachia and Herbert Agius, respectively.

Thursday, 11 October 2001
George Grech testifies in the Constitutional case and admits to having a relationship with Ms Azzopardi. Mr Grech testifies in open court and reveals intimate details.

Sunday, 14 October 2001
Isabelle Azzopardi tells MaltaToday that the Commissioner’s claim that he had sex with her was ‘wishful thinking’. She continues to deny she ever had a relationship with him.

Tuesday, 16 October 2001
George Grech’s Constitutional case continues. More sordid details of the alleged affair are revealed.

Wednesday, 17 October 2001
Isabelle Azzopardi gives her first TV interview on TVM. She denies the relationship claims once more.

Saturday, 20 October 2001
Isabelle Azzopardi and her husband John appear in a recorded interview on Super One TV’s ‘Bla Agenda’ programme.

Sunday, 21 October 2001
In an exclusive interview with MaltaToday the aggrieved couple deny that John Azzopardi was ever arrested or detained and say they did not know Magistrate Miriam Hayman before the inquiry. Attorney General says he is still studying evidence collated by Magistrate Hayman.

Wednesday, 24 October 2001
Attorney General informs the PM that the evidence presented by Magistrate Hayman is not ‘sufficiently credible, reliable or safe to justify a prosecution with any likelihood that a reasonable jury, properly directed, would convict’. Criminal charges against George Grech are dropped.

Thursday, 25 October 2001
Labour Party spokesman Gavin Gulia calls for George Grech’s resignation to restore the public’s trust in the police force.