Updated | PL accuses Claudio Grech of lying under oath after George Farrugia testimony

The Labour Party has accused Opposition MP Claudio Grech of lying under oath to Parliament’s public accounts committee about his relationship with pardoned oil trader George Farrugia.

Farrugia told the court last week that he had met former transport minister Austin Gatt on several issues to discuss issues related to fuel procurement, directly contradicting Gatt’s denials that such meetings ever took place. He also admitted that he met Claudio Grech, who back then served in Gatt’s personal secretariat, once.

Former PL President Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi told a press conference that this admittance belies Grech’s claim to the PAC during its investigation into the Enemalta oil scandal that he had never met Farrugia.

MaltaToday later published emails revealing that Grech had met Farrugia as early as 2006, but the Opposition MP insisted that he could not remember such a meeting, noting that his role involved him attending up to 60 meetings a week.

“Claudio Grech had told the public accounts committee that he categorically had no idea who George Farrugia even was,” Zrinzo Azzopardi said. “When MaltaToday revealed the emails, he said that he couldn’t remember meeting him.”

Home affairs minister Carmelo Abela took Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to task for throwing his weight behind Claudio Grec.

“Grech lied under oath, and yet the Opposition leader is believing his lie – a clear sign of his weakness and inconsistency,” he said. “The meeting between Farrugia and Grech is not insignificant, as it could be related to the oil scandal.” 

‘Muscat trying to smear Claudio Grech’ – PN

The Nationalist Party said that the criticism of Claudio Grech was part of a strategy by the Labour Party to smear Opposition MPs with lies so as to cloud people’s minds and deviate public attention from the government’s scandal.

“Claudio Grech already said that he doesn’t remember meeting George Farrugia,” the PN said in a statement. “If anything, George Farrugia’s testimony confirms what Grech had said, as he [Farrugia] said he hadnt even been sure whether a meeting between himself and Grech took place over ten years ago. Indeed, Farrugia’s testimony  has burst another bubble in the Labour Party’s face.”