In court today, a witness said that GRTU employees agreed on a fictitious version of events to tell the police about the incident involving the union's former director general Vince Farrugia and MDA's President Sandro Chetcuti. She also admitted that Farrugia had contacted her several times insisting that she should stick to this account.
President of the Malta Developers Association, Chetcuti was found guilty of slightly injuring Farrugia when he assaulted him at his GRTU office in Valletta. Chetcuti was initially charged with attempted murder for the March 2010 assault, but in 2012 the attorney general dropped that charge leaving assault with intent to cause serious injury as the most serious charge.
Chetcuti later filed an application in court urging Police Commissioner Ray Zammit to charge former GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia with perjury, influencing witnesses and fabrication of evidence.
During proceedings against Chetcuti, former council member Sylvia Gauci was asked to give her version of events, however, on two separate days she gave two opposing interpretations. In court today, Gauci admitted to having changed her testimony, and claimed that the second version was the truthful one.
Today, Gauci said that on the day in question, she walked into Farrugia's office to pick up her mobile phone, which she had left behind. At the time, Chetcuti and Farrugia were in the room, sitting opposite each other. Shortly after she walked out of the room, she heard shouting coming from the same office. Taking a look inside, she saw Farrugia lying on the floor shouting in pain, and Chetcuti standing beside him. Asked by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja if she witnessed any assault, Gauci replied she hadn't.
The former council member alleged that before the ambulance arrived Farrugia started telling employees present his own version of events. After the ambulance took off to hospital with Farrugia, Gauci and three other employees decided on the story to tell the police - meaning, that they saw Chetcuti physically assaulting Farrugia. Asked who came up with this idea, Gauci did not give a straight answer. Questioned by Magistrate Bugeja on why they chose that account, Gauci admitted it was to make Chetcuti look bad.
Testifying the first time round, Gauci said that she had witnessed Chetcuti hitting Farrugia. However, claiming a guilty conscience, she retracted her version of events and stated she never witnessed any assault. Today, Gauci alleged that during proceedings, Farrugia contacted her several times, urging her to stick to the first account.
During cross-examination, Inspector James Grech questioned Gauci whether she was threatened to give a particular version of events to which she replied she wasn't - it was merely an agreement she held with her colleagues.
The prosecution then questioned whether she met Chetcuti at a hotel in Mellieha before she testified the second time round. To this, Gauci replied that she had taken her son for chocolate cake at the hotel after he underwent two major operations, when Chetcuti walked in, and sat beside her asking about her son. Asked by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja if she discussed the case with him, Bugeja replied she hadn't.
The defence counsel argued that in court, Farrugia had claimed that he was hit over 15 times by Chetcuti, however, medical reports showed that he only suffered a slight injury under his eyebrow.
Emanuel Cassar, Chetcuti's father in law and former assistant commissioner for the CID, said he had compiled a number of text messages recovered from Farrugia's mobile phone.
The court is now to decide whether Farrugia should face criminal proceedings for perjury.
Dr Edward Gatt and Dr William Cuchieri appeared for Sandro Chetcuti.