Cleaning contractor in Zarb case says controversial recordings were never in his possession

Dominic Gafa yesterday said that he was unable to hand a controversial recording of GWU secretary general Tony Zarb to the court as it had never been in his possession.

Asked if he had received a court notice, Gafa, the voice behind the PN's pre-election allegation against Zarb, told Magistrate Francesco Depasquale that he suffered from dyslexia and could not read.

Gafa, 51, a director of Mach Clean Ltd, which was at some point awarded a cleaning services tender by a government department, was being questioned as a witness in the libel case Zarb filed against PN officials.

Aron Mifsud Bonnici asked whether anyone close to the PN had approached Gafa about the recording and the witness replied in the negative.

Counter-examined by former PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier, Gafa said the conversation aired on television was the one he had had with Zarb. He explained how Zarb had asked to meet him for lunch at a restaurant in Marsascala.

Gafa was accompanied by Michael Ferry. Gejtu Mercieca, who Gafa had previously met, was also present at the lunch.

The recordings in question were at the heart of accusations by the PN that the GWU had been hinting it could influence government tendering if Labour were elected.

The recordings were released by Nationalist party organ In-Nazzjon last February.

Magistrate Depasquale postponed the case until 30 September, when PN leader Simon Busuttil is expected to take the witness stand.