Witnesses say they were threatened, told how to vote

Two employees of Papillon Caterers told a court today that they had been instructed and threatened over how to vote at the general elections by their employer Pierre Bartolo.

They gave evidence when the Criminal Court started hearing proceedings against Mr Bartolo, 44 of Swieqi, a director of Papillon, who was accused of corrupt practices at the March 8 general elections. .

Testifying, PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia said that after the elections he had received several reports of persons who were paid to vote Nationalist.

Anthony Zammit had spoken to him and told him that he worked at Mater Dei Hospital with Papillon Caterers and had been threatened to vote Nationalist. A certain man he knew as Cioffi went with him to the polling station and he was told to take a photo of his ballot paper using his mobile phone.

Dr Farrugia said this was just one of around 100 to 200 cases that he had asked the police to investigate in a report.

The accused, he said, had bought votes for €200 each. Anthony Zammit was fired from work shortly after the election.

Joe Calleja, secretary at the Electoral Commission, said he did not receive any reports of vote buying.

Police Inspector Daniel Zammit told the court that a certain Anthony Portelli, a former Papillon employee, had reported that he was threatened that if he did not vote PN, he would be fired. He had said that Edwin Cioffi, a cook with Papillon, went with him to vote.

Inspector Zammit said the accused allegedly told Kristylee Bezzina and Anthony Zammit that if Labour were elected, they were not to turn up for work.

The accused Pierre Bartolo and Mr Cioffi were interrogated at length by the police, the inspector said.

Kristylee Bezzina told the court that she had been working with Papillon for a year. While at work, Mr Bartolo told her to vote PN.

The case continues.