The whistleblower in the ‘works-for-votes’ case involving former Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono's husband feared "they may set light" to everything he owns, a court heard today.

Anthony Debono, a 59-year-old Nadur resident, faces a total of 13 charges including misappropriation of public funds, fraud, abuse of power, falsification of documents, making false declarations, committing crimes he was duty bound to prevent and preventing people from giving evidence during his tenure as head of the Construction and Maintenance Unit (CMU) at the Gozo Ministry.

He is accused of being involved in a works-for-votes operation, through which the resources of the ministry were allegedly being used to carry out works for the benefit of individual constituents.

He was investigated after contractor Joe Cauchi turned whistleblower and accused Mr Debono of tasking him to carry out works for constituents and issuing false invoices for them. Mr Cauchi had first approached the ministry about the money he said he was owed by Mr Debono last year.

A total of 22 alleged irregular works have been flagged during investigations, and these were carried out between 2004 and the 2013 general election.

The Chief of Staff at the Gozo Ministry Christian Zammit took to the witness stand today, telling the court that he was first approached about the allegations against Mr Debono on 17 October 2014.

The Permanent Secretary at the Gozo Ministry John Borg told him that the whistleblower, Joe Cauchi, said he had €50,000 in unpaid bills by the Gozo Ministry, with 75 per cent of the work having been carried out on private properties on the orders of Mr Debono.

Mr Borg, adviser Grezzju Mercieca and two other ministry colleagues were present during this meeting, including the ministry's communications coordinator Marthese Attard.

In a meeting with Mr Cauchi, the whistleblower expressed his fears that “they might set light to everything I own." 

The Permanent Secretary said they took the case "seriously but cautiously," and advice was sought from the Whistleblower Office in Malta. 

(Whistleblower Joe Cauchi)

Marthese Attard, the Communications Coordinator at the Gozo Ministry also testified that  Mr Cauchi claimed he was owed  €50,000 for works carried out on private properties, on the instructions of the accused Anthony Debono. 

Another witness, Amy Gauci, a coordinator at the Gozo Ministry’s secretariat, corroborated earlier versions given by ministry staff. Questioned by defence lawyer Joe Giglio, Ms Gauci said some of the works carried out were on country paths, the Gharb football ground and some garages. 

George Pace, a clerk in Mr Debono’s department, said the accused used to give him invoices certified by the works supervisor.

(Anthony Debono (centre) arriving in court together with his wife Giovanna Debono, and lawyer Joe Giglio.

These invoices would then be sent to the treasury department.

Mr Pace told the court that he knew the whistleblower as he was one of the contractors who supplied the Gozo Ministry with construction machinery through period contracts.

Asked by Magistrate Neville Camilleri if he had ever been handed invoices for other works, Mr Pace said that he could not remember.

Mr Pace explained that no ledger used to be kept for the use of machinery hired from Mr Cauchi. 

He said his job was office-based and it was not his competence to go on site and verify the works being carried out. 

Going through a number of the invoices in question, Mr Pace told the court he recognised his own signature, and said the counter signatures do look like Anthony Debono's. 

Defence lawyer Joe Giglio points out that some of the works revealed by the whistleblower was works on football grounds. 

Mr Pace confirmed that a lot of work was carried out for "NGOs," with workers carrying out maintenance works on these football grounds, including Gharb football ground in January 2006 and a 5-a-side pitch in the Gharb primary school in May 2006. 

Works were also carried out on a theatre and a racehorse track. 

Dr Giglio pointed out that such works fall within the official remit of the Construction and Maintenance Department, as indicated in an annual report published by the Gozo Ministry. 

Mr Pace told the court that there was a dedicated fund for improving farm access roads and sports facilities.

Asked by Dr Giglio if there was anything suspicious or abnormal about such works, Mr Pace replied that if this was the case, he would have flagged it. 

(Defence lawyer Joe Giglio)

Marianne Pace, a senior principal at the Projects and Development Department told the court that her department issued payment vouchers after receiving the invoices.

The department verified that all invoices had the required signatures, including that of the director in works involving payments over €500.

The payment vouchers would then be forwarded to the treasury department for payment to be affected.

The supplier was then obliged to send a fiscal receipt when the payment from the ministry was received.

Ms Pace said she was never approached by the whistleblower about any pending payments. 

Accountant and Gozo Channel Joe Cordina also testified as a representative of a consortium of contractors who supply concrete to the Gozo Ministry.

Mr Cordina explained that a number of clients operating batching plants asked him for his help to form a joint venture in order to apply for government tenders.

He explained that invoices would be issued at the end of each month, passed on to the Gozo Ministry, which would “eventually” issue the payments to the relevant contractor.

Asked how the Gozo Ministry chose which contract to use, Mr Cordina said this was based on which plant was closest to the site in question.

Mr Cordina said he never dealt with Mr Debono, as all payments were processed through the treasury. 

Assunta Debono, a clerk with P&J construction, confirmed that the Gozo Ministry would call up the contractors directly for works.

 

Delivery notes would be signed by Anthony Debono, she said. 

The next sitting will be held on 7 October when the final submissions will be made.