Sai Mizzi hotel allegations a 'blatant lie' Konrad Mizzi tells court

Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi today declared to a court that allegations that his wife Sai Mizzi Iang resided in a hotel when in Malta was a “blatant lie” and that she had often travelled to Malta over the past two years, accompanied by the couple’s children, so that the family could spend time together.

Mizzi took the stand in cross-examination this morning, in the course of libel proceedings filed by Mizzi and his wife over a blog post published by Daphne Caruana Galizia in November 2014. 

Caruana Galizia had alleged that Mizzi was having an extramarital affair with his communications aide Lindsey Gambin, claiming that this was the reason for which "his wife left for China". 

The Mizzis and Gambin had subsequently filed separate libel suits against Caruana Galizia, vehemently denying the allegations and saying they were intended to harm Mizzi’s reputation.

Replying to questions put to him by Caruana Galizia’s lawyer Joseph Zammit Maempel, Mizzi was asked how often his wife had visited Malta over the last two years.

“Very often,” he replied. “Sometimes I go too to enjoy holidays with the family,” the Minister explained.

With regards living arrangements during his wife’s visits to the island, Mizzi declared that Sai stayed at his home and the children resided with the couple “and sometimes with their grandparents.”

“What would you say if I were to tell you that Mrs Mizzi resides at a hotel when in Malta, and that the children are always left in the care of their grandparents?”  Zammit Maempel suggested.

“That’s not true. It’s a blatant lie,” replied the Minister.

As Sai Mizzi Iang resided abroad, Magistrate Francesco Depasquale made arrangements for the Minister’s spouse is to testify in open court via a Skype call in the next sitting in June.

In a sitting in November 2015, Caruana Galizia had told the court that it had been a "very high-ranking police officer” who had told her that he had spotted the then-Energy Minister in an intimate embrace with Gambin.

He had told her that he had seen them one night at the bar of the Tiffany Champagne and Cigar Room at Portomaso, drinking champagne. The two had allegedly been sitting next to each other, their body language indicating that there was more between them than just a professional relationship, Caruana Galizia wrote.

After the Minister’s brief cross-examination, lawyer Edward Gatt, assisting Gambin in proceedings, informed the court that he would be reserving the right to request that the two libel suits be separated, especially in view of the fact that the Mizzis’ case appeared to be destined to be prolonged.

Lawyers Aaron Mifsud Bonnici and Abigail Critien are counsel to Mizzi and his wife.