The lawyer defending a former member of the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU), Sandro Chetcuti, accused of trying to kill the association’s director general, yesterday called for the case to be concluded quickly.

Mr Chetcuti is pleading not guilty to trying to kill Vince Farrugia at the GRTU’s office in Valletta in 2010 during a fight in which the accused allegedly repeatedly punched Mr Farrugia.

Defence lawyer Emanuel Mallia said that although Mr Farrugia’s daughter, Marie Claire, was meant to testify she did not turn up. Although he understood that she lived abroad, the case directly involved her father and he could not understand why she was not present.

In previous sittings, the defence team, which includes lawyer Edward Gatt, referred to text messages Mr Farrugia’s daughter sent consultant radiologist Anthony Samuel, the prosecution’s main medical witness, who had examined Mr Farrugia.

In the messages mentioned in court, the two communicate on the possibility of Mr Samuel doing some bone scans of Mr Farrugia’s ribs that would “help” the case against Mr Chetcuti in court.

The defence team is arguing that such behaviour was very suspicious and that the doctor could have inflated his findings.

Mr Samuel vehemently denied this although his medical opinion has been disputed twice.

Dr Mallia said yesterday that he wanted the case to be brought to a close sooner rather than later.

The case continues.

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