Dragonara claim Privatisation Unit chairman lied to court

Dragonara Gaming Limited has filed an application in court this afternoon requesting it hear the testimony of retired judge Geoffrey Valencia, the chairman of the technical committee evaluating bids for a new casino licence, before it issues its decree on a warrant of prohibitory injunction that would halt the evaluation process.

The application, signed by lawyer Louis de Gabriele on behalf of Dragonara Gaming Limited, claims that the company has been informed that the chairman of the privatisation unit, Manuel Camilleri, lied to the court under oath.

It presented an affidavit by Joe Mikallef, investigative editor of newspaper In-Nazzjon, in which he confirms that he “saw with his own eyes” a photocopy of the final report by the subcommittee appointed by the privatisation unit, which contained a “clear recommendation for the Dragonara bid”, and was signed by Valenzia and two other members of the subcommittee.

In a sitting before Judge Joseph R. Micallef yesterday, the chairman of the Privatisation Unit had testified that the committee had not concluded its report, saying that he received instructions from economy minister Chris Cardona to dissolve the committee whilst the bids were still being evaluated.

It adds that according to Joe Mikallef, the Eden Leisure bid was not superior in any of the evaluation criteria.

The application requests the court to not issue its decree until judge Valenzia’s return to Malta on Friday and hear his testimony in order to establish the truth of the matter.