Contractors Jeffrey and Peter Montebello will be escorted to court by police after failing to turn up to a sitting.
The Montebello brothers – developers of the A3 towers in Paola, the ex-Mistra village and owners of the Jerma Palace – had been summoned to court to testify in libel proceedings instituted by former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and his wife Claudine against the Prime Minister’s aide Glenn Bedingfield.
In 2009, Mr Fenech had filed slander proceedings against Mr Bedingfield – who at time occupied the position of head of news at One Productions Ltd – regarding two news broadcasts which had appeared on November 8 and 11, 2009.
The broadcasts had reacted to a Malta Today article alleging that that JPM Brothers had carried out works at the minister’s private residence in return for Mr Fenech’s intervention on a business deal.
The paper had revealed how the former minister had used the services of JPM Brothers (Montebello) to renovate his semi-detached villa in Balzan.
But the sub-contractors engaged by Peter Montebello to do the works –Rainbow Turnkey Projects – told Malta Today that Mr Montebello had told them they were working for the minister, as a favour (“bi pjaċir”) in return for his intervention in the sale of the Jerma hotel to entrepreneurs George Fenech and Joe Gasan.
Mr Fenech vehemently denied the allegations.
Noel Borg Hedley, a former secretary of Mr Fenech, took the witness stand this morning.
In 2011, Mr Borg Hedley was handed a conditional discharge and a perpetual interdiction after admitting to receiving bribes from JPM Brothers to reduce or waive fees owed to government departments that fell under the Finance Ministry in 2008.
However, in a separate case, JPM Brothers had been acquitted of bribing him.
Mr Borg Hedley told Magistrate Francesco Depasquale that he did not know Mr Fenech before he was employed at his secretariat.
He said that Mr Fenech had introduced him to the Montebello brothers during a meal.
“I only told them ‘hello’ and that’s it,” he told the court.
Asked by lawyer Veronique Dalli, appearing for Mr Bedingfield, about the type of relationship Mr Fenech and the Montebello brothers shared, Mr Borg Hedley replied that he didn’t know.
Rephrasing the question, Dr Dalli asked how Mr Fenech had presented the Montebello brothers to him. Mr Borg Hedley replied that they were introduced as his friends.
The case continues.
Lawyer Peter Fenech appeared for Mr Fenech.