Caruana Galizia case: Asst Commissioner denies Magistrate's claim
Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Cassar has denied part of the testimony Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera gave on Monday when she said he had bought her drinks at a popular restaurant.
"It wasn't me. I don't even know where this restaurant is. I never bought a drink for a magistrate or any other citizen. My life is spent at work, at home and at the beach in Marsascala," he said when contacted.
Columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who is accused of defaming the magistrate in a series of blogs, posted an entry yesterday saying that, in the circumstances, the public expected the police to take action against the magistrate for giving false testimony.
For Mr Cassar, however, this was probably a question of "mistaken identity".
When asked whether the magistrate could have mistaken him for somebody else given that he was such a prominent figure, the officer said that, since the incident happened seven years ago, he gave the magistrate the benefit of the doubt. But, he insisted, he was never involved in such situations.
In her first in a series of blog entries accusing the magistrate of inappropriate behaviour, Ms Caruana Galizia described an episode in which she and the magistrate were at a ladies' lunch when some "sleazy policemen" sent drinks to their table.
"The rest of us wanted to send the drinks back but the magistrate accepted them... "
In her testimony on Monday in the defamation case instituted by the police acting on a complaint by the magistrate, Dr Scerri Herrera said the men at the table were far from sleazy and included Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar and an official of the American Embassy.
Ms Caruana Galizia was yesterday questioned by police for allegedly swearing at the magistrate and calling her a liar on her way out of court.
Ms Caruana Galizia denied the claim saying that she said the word liar in private and was not, at the time, even looking at the magistrate on Monday.
31 Comments
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Dr Francis Saliba
Mar 12th 2010, 16:57
@m.d.borg & J Borg
The identity of the "sleazy" policeman is amply described in Daphne Caruana Galizia'a blog.
Ediie Fenech Adami's encounter with a man with a criminal record in an effort to solve a very serious crime should not be compared with unnecessary social encounters.
Anthony Bugeja
Mar 12th 2010, 12:13
@ m d borg. You can judge someone to be sleazy by his behaviour without knowing him.
N Borg
Mar 12th 2010, 10:25
This is real drama depicting the decadency of our society.
CVella
Mar 11th 2010, 09:54
J. Borg:
The roles of prime minister and magistrate are distinct and the process of their removal is different. A prime minister may be voted out of office. A magistrate may only be removed by impeachment. The alternative is resignation.
CVella
Mar 11th 2010, 09:52
m. d. borg
Perjury is a crime, as is attempting to influence a witness and obstruct the course of justice. The courts may hold very different view to your own in the case you mention. Meanwhile, you'll find that the answers you need were published before your questions were asked:
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2010/03/10/would-you-buy-a-used-flat-from-this-man/
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2010/03/10/this-is-the-policeman-who-sent-drinks-to-consuelo-and-with-whom-she-left-the-restaurant/
MMallia
Mar 11th 2010, 08:43
What a Farce...Are these the Courts and Magistrates that sometimes make decisions for us.??? Is this how low we can go ??? Big Joke...Real Drama...!!!
J Brincat
Mar 11th 2010, 08:36
@J Borg
What you say is very true. Here it's always a matter of two wieghts and two measures and if you happen to be the victim you may rest assured that the vultures will all swoop down in chorus to character assassinate you
CVella
Mar 12th 2010, 14:49
There is only one weight and one measure on every point in this case.
Behaviour may be correct or compromising
Identity may be mistaken or falsely represented
Redress may follow correct procedure or the alternative route of attempting to influence a witness and to obstruct the course of justice.
Policemen who offer drinks to magistrates place those magistrates in a compromising position.
Magistrates who accept drinks from policemen endorse that compromising behaviour; their sleaziness is only an aggravating factor.
m. d. borg
Mar 10th 2010, 23:36
If it wasn't Michael Cassar who was it, Daphney should know because she even described him as a s"sleazy policeman"which shows she knew him well.
It is only fair that Ms Galizia Caruana should now produce this "Slaezy policeman" as a witness and while she's at it tells us why she thinks he's sleazy.
By the way a mistaken identity does not imply false testimony and accepting a drink from a "sleazy policeman" does not count as a crime.
J.Borg
Mar 10th 2010, 23:21
Nobody asked a prime minister to resign when he met a man accused of drug trafficing at St.Julian's.
It seems that in Malta we have two weights and two measures. Depending on which side one is on.
M. J. Mallia
Mar 10th 2010, 21:27
@Mark Galea - Please don't generalise. As far as I know, it is only one of the women who has stooped low, and there's probably more to come.
M. J. Mallia
Mar 10th 2010, 21:25
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that for one to be defamed, one must have a good reputation in the first place.
J. J. Borg
Mar 10th 2010, 16:32
Interesting how according to some of the people commenting below, it is no big deal (or even a source of entertainment) that a magistrate's testimony in court is being called a lie by an assistant police commissioner.
CVella
Mar 10th 2010, 16:12
Franco Farrugia: Magistrate Scerri Herrera asked for a police investigation and hence, effectively, the eventual court case.
CVella
Mar 10th 2010, 16:08
Elvira Mallia: It's very simple. You can believe the assistant commissioner. There is no reason to doubt what he says.
J Martinelli
Mar 10th 2010, 14:18
The noose tightens.
Elvira Mallia
Mar 10th 2010, 12:53
The Ass. Commissioner doesn't know where Da Pippo's is? Now... seriously ... its hilarious. I don't know who to believe.
T.Scerri
Mar 10th 2010, 12:13
I wouldn't call serious allegations against a member of the Judiciary, a farce. It might be seen as one but I sincerely hope that it is taken seriously and justice is done be it one way or the other.
Vincenzo Galea
Mar 10th 2010, 11:27
how about the other members of the judiciary taking some action to get back some respect and credibility to their profession.
and the Commission? wake up gentlemen please !
J. Grech
Mar 10th 2010, 10:55
Who cares?????? Is this an episode of Eastenders??
A.Busuttil
Mar 10th 2010, 10:20
What a soap opera !!!!!!
pity it will not make it to the TV awards
Mark Galea
Mar 10th 2010, 09:54
As William Congreve said in his play, "The Mourning Bride" (1697), "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". Unbelievable how low they can stoop!
Peter Vella
Mar 10th 2010, 09:30
This is a rather serious development that does not bode well for the magistrate. I cannot fathom how this could have been a case of mistaken identity, it is not as if AC Cassar is not a well known figure. One of the persons who actually sent the drinks is alleged to have been someone who was later dismissed from the Police corps. The identity of the person who sent the drinks is therefore a very material fact in this testimpony and the Magistrate must have been aware of its importance.
J Farrugia
Mar 10th 2010, 09:02
RESIGN MAGISTRATE CONSUELO SCERRI HERRERA. Save some dignity for yourself.
Peter Busuttil
Mar 10th 2010, 08:51
Seems like the chickens are coming home to roost!
V.Micallef
Mar 10th 2010, 08:46
Kindly change "thickens" into "sickens" - more appropriate action word!
victor pulis
Mar 10th 2010, 08:45
Is anyone filming these proceedings? they would make an excellent TV series in the future!
Franco Farrugia
Mar 10th 2010, 08:44
@ Charles Micallef: ... who's paying for it? Us, the tax-payers!
Mario Busuttil
Mar 10th 2010, 08:25
Ms D. Caruana Galizia is a real Paparazzi Woman,Keep on Going lady and i assure you that the maltese love this.....
Ian Galea
Mar 10th 2010, 08:06
@ Charles Micallef ... You may call it a farce but many people think that this is actually very serious!
Charles Micallef
Mar 10th 2010, 07:42
The plot of this farce thickens!