Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/453115
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 28 JANUARY 2015 4 A court will decide on whether it will order the police to prosecute the former director-general of the GRTU, Vince Farrugia, for perjury after challenge proceedings were filed against the Commissioner of Police. The proceedings asked the com- missioner to investigate Farrugia for perjury with respect to an inci- dent that happened on 11 March, 2010, when Sandro Chetcuti al- legedly assaulted Farrugia during a meeting. Chetcuti, chairman of the Malta Developers Association, had un- dergone criminal proceedings in 2013, and was acquitted of charg- es of the attempted murder and grievous bodily harm of Farrugia. However, Chetcuti was sen- tenced to one month 's imprison- ment, suspended for a year, after he was found guilt y of causing slight injuries to Farrugia, and of harassing and threatening him. Last year, Chetcuti filed chal- lenge proceedings, claiming that even though there was clear "pri- ma facie" evidence to implicate Vince Farrugia in perjury charges, the police commissioner had yet to arraign or even investigate the former GRTU director-general. He requested that the Commis- sioner charge Farrugia with per- jury, suborning of witnesses, and fabrication of evidence. Yesterday, the court heard wit- ness Sylvia Gauci, an ex-member of the GRTU council, who had tes- tified in the proceedings against Sandro Chetcuti as a police wit- ness. She explained that during her cross-examination in those proceedings, she had had a change of heart, retracting her initial statement. In that initial statement, she had claimed to have seen Chetcuti hit- ting Farrugia and slamming his head on the f loor. Asked whether this was the re- sult of external pressure, she said that the she had not been threat- ened but "had been told what to say". She told the court that Paul Abela, the office secretaries and herself had agreed on the version of events that would be given to the police, before making the re- port. She told the court that the idea behind the statement was that "Sandro was to emerge as the bad guy who beat up Vince". She said that she later heard that there had been a council meeting during which it was agreed to manipu- late the story as payback. She con- firmed that this was the meeting where the block vote against San- dro Chetcuti took place. "When I left the room with Vince Farrugia and Sandro Chetcuti be- cause I had left my mobile there, I heard a commotion coming from behind the closed door," she said. "I heard cries of pain, then someone opened the door and went in and I saw Vince on the f loor and Sandro standing oppo- site him some five metres away." She said that she had not seen any exchange of blows. The witness repeatedly denied speaking with Chetcuti or receiv- ing any coaching on how to tes- tif y. Asked by the court, she said that Farrugia had sent her SMS messages about the incident. The SMSs were urging her to stick to her first version, but she felt com- pelled by her conscience to change her story. The former Assistant Commis- sioner of the Criminal Investi- gation Department, Emmanuel Cassar, who is also Chetcuti 's fa- ther-in-law, was called to the wit- ness stand. He was shown copies of SMSs that had been exhibited in court. He recognized them as extracts of messages exhibited from the 1,000 or so SMSs recovered from Farrugia's mobile phone. Law yer Edward Gatt explained to the court that Sylvia Gauci, the first witness, is "the only one who made the retraction because she is the only one who doesn't still work there and doesn't depend on the GRTU for a paycheque". He told the court that Farrugia had systematically manoeuvred against and placed obstacles in the path of those trying to expose the truth. He read out to the court ex- tracts of the SMS exchanges to and from Farrugia, which appeared to indicate an attempt on his part to control witness testimony. "There is no doubt that a prima facie level of proof exists here," said Gatt, criticising Farrugia's attempts to intimidate and ma- nipulate witnesses and evidence as filthy, saying that he wanted to give a message – "there is a percep- tion outside these walls that you can come to court, tell a fairytale and get what you want... Whoever attempts to make a mockery of justice deserves to face justice." Gatt highlighted the fact that Magistrate Edwina Grima, who heard the case against Chetcuti, ordered the Commissioner of Po- lice to investigate and arraign Far- rugia. Magistrate Aaron Bugeja said that he wished to make it very clear that these were not appeal proceedings, nor was it a sentence and that challenge proceedings have a different outcome and a different burden of proof. "I am not going to re-examine the evidence. The court may choose to take proceedings on the basis on prima facie evidence, it is not a sentence but a decree that is given only on the face of the record. The proceedings may fail when they are brought before a magistrate as there may not be proof beyond reasonable doubt". The magistrate has given him- self till 25 March to issue a de- cree on whether there is sufficient evidence to merit proceedings against Farrugia. News GOVERNMENT OF MALTA CALL FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Design, Construction and Operation of a Fish Processing Plant at the Fish Market in Marsa The Privatisation Unit ('PU'), acting on behalf of the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, is issuing a public Request for Proposals (RFP) in connection with the concession for the Design, Construction and Operation of a Fish Processing Plant at the Fish Market buildings in Marsa. The PU is inviting submissions for the RFP from reputable persons and/or entities with the necessary experience and resources to undertake such task. In the first instance, interested parties are invited to communicate with the PU, at the email address shown below, expressing their interest to undertake the task. Once this initial communication takes place, the PU will forward a process letter inviting interested parties to collect the RFP document. The process letter will explain the procedure to be followed for the collection and submission of the RFP document. Opening date for collection of RFP: 26 th January 2015 (12.00hours CET). Closing date for collecting the RFP: 16 th February 2015 (12.00hours CET). Closing date for the submission of the RFP: 23 rd February 2015 (12.00hours CET). The Chairman Privatisation Unit Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business 4, Clock Tower, Level 1 Tigne Point Sliema TP01 Tel: (+356) 22209573 Email: privatisation.meib@gov.mt Website: privatisation.gov.mt Court to decide on perjury charge by March Sandro Chetcuti (right) had called on the Commissioner of Police to charge Vince Farrugia (left) with perjury, suborning of witnesses, and fabrication of evidence