Top GRTU officials plead not guilty to perjury

Criminal proceedings have begun against three top GRTU officials, for perjuring themselves in criminal proceedings against developer Sandro Chetcuti.

Former GRTU president Vincent Farrugia, 71, from Wardija, current GRTU president and company director Paul Abela, 64, and the deputy GRTU president, business consultant Philip Fenech, 60, from Sliema appeared before Magistrate Doreen Clarke this afternoon. All three pleaded not guilty.

The proceedings relate to evidence which the three officials had tendered in the case against former GRTU member Sandro Chetcuti.

Chetcuti had been charged with Farrugia’s attempted murder, a charge later downgraded to grievous bodily harm and subsequently reduced to causing slight injury to Farrugia, in the face of mounting evidence suggesting that the claim had been exaggerated. The court had been shown a number of SMS sent by the accused had shown that witnesses were being coached to give false evidence.

CID Inspector James Grech testified before Magistrate Doreen Clarke as to how he had been on duty at the Valletta police station on 11 March 2010 when he was informed of an assault at the GRTU offices.

The police had started investigating this possibility after Chetcuti was handed a suspended sentence for slightly injuring the ex-GRTU boss, Inspector Grech said today.

Chetcuti had also filed challenge proceedings, asking the court to order the Commissioner of Police to press charges against the three after one witness, Silvia Gauci, recanted in court and revealed that the testimony of other key witnesses, including Paul Abela and Philip Fenech, were also false.

During Grech’s cross-examination today, defence lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell referred to Silvia Gauci’s retraction, asking whether the inspector had looked into why the witness had done so and pointed out that no action had been taken against Chetcuti, in spite of police being aware of him having breached his bail conditions by approaching a witness.

Tonna Lowell argued that in the challenge proceedings, Vincent Farrugia had asked to be allowed to testify, but this had been strongly objected to by the prosecution. Farrugia had never been given the opportunity to explain the incriminating SMS conversations between him and various witnesses, said the lawyer.

The case continues in November.

Inspector Saviour Baldacchino is prosecuting whilst lawyers Stephen Tonna Lowell, Giannella Demarco and Joe Giglio are representing the accused.

Lawyer Edward Gatt is appearing parte civile for Chetcuti.