President's aide met Paqpaqli witnesses before they testified in court

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca’s chief of staff met with the board of administrators of the Malta Community Chest Fund before they testified to discuss what would happen in court before a sitting, one of the board members has testified.

The 13-member core organising committee for Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina, Paul Bailey, Tonio Darmanin, Tonio Cini, Agostino Degiorgio, Jonathan Tonna, Kevin Perry, Melvin Haber, Ian Keith Cilia Pisani, Jonathan Bruno, Julian Mannara, Christopher Sultana, David Bugeja and Brian Gatt are accused of involuntarily causing grievous bodily harm, as well damage to various motor vehicles, through imprudence, carelessness and non-observance of regulations.

Daniel Gera di Petri, who forms part of the board, confirmed to magistrate Aaron Bugeja today that the meeting took place. Cross-examined by lawyer Giannella Demarco, Gera di Petri stressed that the meeting with the board was not to discuss the subject of the testimony but about briefing them on what to expect in court.

He said they were sent for by Coleiro Preca’s chief of staff John Camilleri “to be briefed on how to comport themselves.”

But this explanation did not wash with Demarco who scoffed at the idea that a board of administrators would need to be briefed on how to behave in court. “This isn’t the board of administrators of the Bocci club of Bubaqra, this is the Malta Community Chest Fund,” remarked the lawyer.

The implication that witnesses could have been coached by the president’s Chief of Staff, on what to tell the court is a hammer blow to the Office of the President’s efforts to distance herself and her office from the incident.

Coleiro Preca had stressed in a previous sitting that she did not have an executive role but only chaired the Community Chest Fund’s board.

The human cost of the Paqpaqli tragedy was also laid bare this morning, as the wife of a man left in a vegetative state by the crash took the stand. The woman said that her husband had gone from having a happily married life to living in an old person’s home, needing round-the-clock care. He was assessed as having suffered a staggering 99% disability, the court was told.

Another witness, a psychologist working for the Malta Community Chest Fund said an employee who had worked on Paul Bailey’s car was severely traumatised. He told her he believed the accident was caused by Bailey not having enough time to accustom himself to the Porsche Spyder’s handling characteristics, she said. 

Cross-examined by lawyer Stefano Filletti, the psychologist said the man had sought her advice because he had felt the need to speak out about his trauma.

A representative of the Malta Drifting Association took the witness stand today to confirm that the organisation had been asked to help organise the event. Pressed by the court and Filletti, the witness said that they would decide what barriers were required and the committee would then assist. 

This was contradicted by Paqpaqli organisation committee member Peter Darmanin, who told magistrate Aaron Bugeja that he had taken the decision to use water-filled barriers at the event.

The case continues.

Police inspectors Josric Mifsud, Silvio Magro and Hubert Cini are prosecuting.

Lawyers Giannella DeMarco and Stephen Tonna Lowell are counsel to Paul Bailey.

Lawyer Joe Giglio is counsel to Tonio Darmanin. Lawyer Stefano Filletti is counsel to Brian Gatt and Julian Manara.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi is defence counsel for Ian Cilia Pisani, Kevin Perry and Chris Sultana. Other members of the Paqpaqli team are being assisted by Dr Michael Sciriha, Dr Raphael Fenech Adami and Dr Albert Zerafa.

Franco Debono, Amadeus Cachia, Roberto Montalto, Michael Grech, Shazoo Ghaznavi, Alessia Zammit Mackeon and Reuben Farrugia are among the lawyers appearing parte civile for the victims.