Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/226023
2 News maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2013 Gonzi met Farrugia but 'not on oil procurement issues' PAGE 1 In his court evidence, Balzan said it was not true that Gonzi and Gatt did not know Farrugia, and he presented emails showing that meetings had indeed taken place with Farrugia. "Both the PM and Austin Gatt had declared that they did not know George Farrugia," Balzan said. But yesterday former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi admitted that he had met George Farrugia. In a statement he said: "On the 19 October, 2009, Horizon Terminals had made a presentation at the OPM in Castille for a proposal to develop a terminal and breakwater at Benghisa, by representatives from the company – amongst them entrepreneur Beppe Hili and George Farrugia." Insiders privy to the deal told MaltaToday that George Farrugia had arranged for the presentation in the presence of the Prime Minister and Austin Gatt to impress the Horizon representatives. "Nothing came out of that proposal," Gonzi said. "It was me who authorized the procedure so that Farrugia could be granted a presi- dential pardon so that he could state nothing but the truth and testify to this in court." The Prime Minister omitted to state that the oil terminal had passed through a tendering process, and that Horizon did not go on with the project due to the government's reticence on planning issues. MaltaToday also discovered that in his reply Gonzi omitted to mention that the meetings were made possible as a result of the intervention of consultant Edward Cachia Caruana, who served as a lobbyist for Horizon. Cachia Caruana would not answer to repeated telephone calls from MaltaToday yesterday. The Prime Minister also failed to point out that the project, worth $350 million, faced various obstacles namely planning permits. Horizon Terminals was a bulk liquid terminalling and logistics company and subsidiary of Dubai-based Emirates National Oil Company. In 2010, Horizon unveiled plans for a terminal next to Marsaxlokk that would have 600,000 cubic metres of storage capacity. Before the election, Gonzi had told MaltaToday that he did not know George Farrugia or his wife: "No I never knew them. I rarely... rarely did I meet or have any contact with the Farrugia family, which is a well-known family in Hamrun and in business circles. The only times we met were public events, as evidenced by pictures published showing the open day at the Safi Aviation Park where I met thousands of people including George Farrugia and a relative of his. It's just a picture, which does not mean that I knew with whom George Farrugia was that day." The photograph had been published by MaltaToday after it was discovered that George Farrugia had appeared in In-Nazzjon, together with Lawrence Gonzi and Tonio Fenech. Asked specifically whether he knew Farrugia's wife, Gonzi said: "I don't know who she is, I would not recognise her were I to meet her. It could be, maybe yes, maybe not, but I never had anything to do with her." Mintoff 'biographer' renounces case in attempted murder charge Josef Grech drops charges against father and son who attacked him with a sickle after dating 16-year-old niece. JOSEF Grech of Rabat, 32, founder of a controversial 'Dom Mintoff Foundation', author of a biography of the late premier and known to the police in connection with various cases of fraud, has renounced charges against John Vassallo, 61, and his 25-year-old son Johann Vassallo, both of Dingli, who were accused of attempting to murder him in June 2011. Chewing on gum, Grech took the witness stand claiming his relationship with Vassallo's niece was not sexual, and that her mother had allowed them to share the same bed at her home. However, the mother started creating problems for him after he and the girl allegedly caught her flirting with another man on Facebook. "She had also tried flirting with me," the witness claimed. On the day of the incident, the girl's grandfather called Grech insinuating the girl had ran away from home and went to him. To prove the girl's family wrong, Grech went to look for her in a public garden in Mtarfa. There he met the girl's grandfather and uncle, who chased him with a sickle. Grech alleged that when the two caught up with him, Johann Vassallo kicked him to the ground while the grandfather tied a white nylon cord around his neck telling him he would tie the other end to the van and drive off. Moments later, police officers arrived on site and calmed the three men down. In the brawl, the witness suffered slight injuries when he was hit with the sickle. The alleged victim denied knowing the girl was only 16, rejecting claims made by defence lawyer Franco Debono that he had organised a surprise birthday party for Josef Grech the teenager. The defence also claimed the witness was repeatedly spoken to by Vice Squad officers in connection with his liaisons with the teenager. However in an unexpected turn of events, yesterday Josef Grech informed Magistrate Carol Peralta he was no longer interested in pressing charges against John and Johann Vassallo. The alleged victim told the court he was renouncing to all charges which can be renounced to and is not interested in the continuation of the case. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are appearing for the girl's uncle and grandfather.