A former permanent secretary who stepped down after being charged over the fraudulent Vitals hospital deal is seeking damages from one of the experts appointed by the inquiring magistrates, claiming the expert's report was substandard and full of mistakes.

This emerges from a judicial letter filed this morning against Jeremy Harbinson and Harbinson Forensics Limited by Ronald Mizzi's lawyers, Stefano Filletti and Maurice Meli.

"The expert's report is replete with technical mistakes, factual errors, selectiveness in the collection of the evidence, mistaken hypothetical conjectures lacking in any basis and other serious shortcomings which are well documented."

Mizzi also informed the court that the Irish forensics firm is currently in the process of voluntary winding up, a process which started on 11 October, according to a resolution signed by Harbinson himself. 

The letter was also sent to the liquidator in order for it to be formally registered as a creditor, to whom the defendants would remain directly and unlimitedly responsible for damages.