Conflict of interest 'made me resign'

Maurice Calleja yesterday said he had "shown his willingness" to resign from the army in 1986 when his son had a drugs case in Italy but was told he did not have to.

He said he was not a brigadier at the time and was "working with (Dom) Mintoff on the monitoring board of Marsaxlokk".

The former commander of the armed forces was testifying in the trial of his son, Meinrad, who stands charged with complicity in the attempted murder of the Prime Minister's personal assistant Richard Cachia Caruana nine years ago.

He said he was still wearing his uniform when he got the news of his daughter's arrest in connection with drugs and said to himself: "This time I am going to resign".

"Anyone who is honest would have done what I did and resign in such circumstances. I could not keep heading the army while there was the shadow of drugs hanging over my daughter," he said.

He said that on December 1, 1993, his daughter's husband went to their house at about 7 p.m. and asked him if he knew where she was as she had gone out and had not returned. The witness said he told him to phone the hospital and the Sliema police station to see if they had any casualties or reports, but they had none.

He then called police headquarters and was told his daughter had been arrested in connection with drugs.

"My wife was crying and her husband was worried. After a few minutes of panic, as usual, I made up my mind to resign."

George Micallef phoned him that same evening and Maurice Calleja told him he could not go to his house immediately because he had a family problem but would do so the following morning.

He also told Micallef he had made up his mind and was going to resign and that he would be going over to the prime minister to inform him about it.

He then went to Luqa Barracks, saw the army doctor and proceeded to Castille. But he was told the prime minister was not due to be in his office and so he went to speak to Deputy Prime Minister Guido de Marco, whom he knew well through the job and in whom he had confidence.

He said the (then) deputy prime minister knew about the case and told him he should not rush things as he had done nothing wrong and that he should speak to the prime minister before resigning. But the witness said he had already made up his mind.

The deputy prime minister's words were meant to console him rather than encourage him not to resign, the witness said.

The following day, Friday, he went to speak to the prime minister but was again told he was out.

The weekend passed and on Monday and Tuesday he was unwell. He then called the prime minister who told him to go to his home on Saturday evening.

The witness said it was he who chased the prime minister after his daughter was caught with drugs.

On Saturday morning, the editor of The Sunday Times, Lawrence Grech, called him and later went to his home, produced a note book and asked him if he was going to resign.

"I did not expect him to ask about it. In the army it was forbidden to make statements to the press as one needed clearance first," Maurice Calleja said.

He said he could not tell the editor before speaking to the prime minister in the evening and could not recall what he had told the editor of The Sunday Times.

"I could have asked him whether he thought I should resign but he left with the impression I was not going to resign. I felt humiliated, like I was humiliated last week with what was said in court that my son lost his protection on my resignation. It was an obscene lie and it hurt me," the witness said.

"I was not pleased about having to resign. I was happy in the army and did not wish to leave in this way."

He said his meeting with the prime minister was cordial and he informed him that he was going to resign.

"He told me it had to come from me and that he was accepting it. He told me to go to the December 13 parade and then we were to leave together, go for a drink at the Palace and I would give him the letter of resignation there.

"The following day, The Sunday Times carried a picture on the front page with an article saying I may be forced to resign. I was deeply hurt and offended by that article."

Because of "the unchristian-like and malicious article in The Sunday Times", he said he did not go to the December 13 parade. Instead he went to Castille and handed his letter of resignation to the soldier on guard duty there and instructed him to give it to the prime minister.

Maurice Calleja said he had decided to resign as he felt there was a conflict of interest. He used to have meetings with the prime minister and the police commissioner in which they discussed airport security, drug trafficking and smuggling and he felt he could not appear before the prime minister and discuss such topics while there was a shadow hanging over his daughter.

His son was abroad at the time and returned some two months later, he said, adding that he never spoke to him during that time and never discussed his resignation with him or any of his other children.

"When Clarissa was granted bail we were in the sitting room. I asked her: Can you tell me what happened? She started crying and my wife told me to leave her alone as she was already suffering."

He said he was convinced the article in The Sunday Times had been written by Grech and only learnt it was Daphne Caruana Galizia who had done so while reading the evidence.

Asked by the prosecution, the witness said he did not know what his son's business was but knew he traded with Libya.

Asked about his role on the airport security committee, Maurice Calleja said the army was responsible for security within the airport.

Asked about whether he recalled a substantial theft of money from the airport, he said he could not. Neither could he recall that arrangements were made for a helicopter to transfer the money from the airport after that particular theft or that the decision was later reversed.