Government appeals ruling implicating political motive
Government claims no discrimination
The government has appealed a ruling declaring that young Karin Grech had been killed by a bomb sent to her father in connection with the services he had given during a politically sensitive period in the late 1970s.
Although contesting this “general suspicion” that the motive for the bomb was her father’s work, a government spokesman made it clear it was in no way appealing the compensation award.
The court had heard how, in August 1977, Edwin Grech was working as an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant in the UK at a time when in Malta a doctors’ strike was in progress. The industrial action followed disagreement between the government and the medical association. The government asked Prof. Grech to return to Malta to head the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at St Luke’s Hospital.
He agreed to do so for the duration of the industrial dispute in the best interest of patients.
On December 28, 1977, a large brown envelope addressed to him was delivered to his house. It contained a pen-box shaped parcel in Christmas wrapping.
His daughter, in Malta from her UK school for Christmas, eagerly opened the parcel that exploded in her hands. She died in hospital and her brother, who was standing close to her, had to be operated upon. In the appeal filed yesterday, the government said Mr Justice Ray Pace could not state that the bomb was a result of a medico-political motive when the case had not even been solved.
The government also argued the court was wrong when it ruled the state had discriminated against the Grech family by failing to award compensation when the claim for compensation was first made.
The government said that when the court case for compensation was instituted, it had offered the family €200,000. Thus, it could not understand how the court could rule it had discriminated against the family.
Furthermore, the government was found guilty of discrimination for not processing the claim between March 2007, when the claim was first made, and January 2008, when the case was opened, even if the family had waited 30 years to file their claim.
When contacted about the appeal yesterday, Prof. Grech preferred not to comment.