Developer Sandro Chetcuti was this morning convicted of having slightly injured outgoing GRTU Director-General Vince Farrugia when he assaulted him at the association's offices three years ago.
He was condemned to a one month jail term suspended for one year. Mr Chetcuti was ordered not to speak to Mr Farrugia for a year in terms of a €1,000 protection order.
The court, presided by Magistrate Edwina Grima, also ordered the Commissioner of Police to investigate Mr Farrugia and other witnesses who may have testified falsely before the court.
The case took place in March 2010 and Chetcuti had originally been accused of the attempted murder of Mr Farrugia, but last year that charge was dropped by the Attorney General leaving assault with intent to cause serious injury as the most serious charge.
The judgement was welcomed with applause by Mr Chetcuti's friends, who had been waiting outside the court room.
Mr Chetcuti's lawyer, Edward Gatt, in comments after the judgement, noted that Magistrate Edwina Grima had ordered the Police Commissioner to investigate anyone who in these proceedings had either testified falsely or given incorrect information.
COURT SAYS FARRUGIA TRIED TO MANIPULATE EVIDENCE, TWIST THE ARM OF JUSTICE
In its judgement, the court noted, among other things, that even before the court procedures started, Mr Farrugia tried to use his influential position to ensure that Mr Chetcuti faced a trial by media.
Evidence of SMS messages and other contacts showed that he had contacted journalists and even vetted articles and comments in the press.
Mr farrugia had wanted to pay back Mr Chetcuti at all costs. He had tried to influence people in authority who could help him in this Case, even the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Prisons while Mr Chetcuti was under preventive arrest.
The messages presented in court also showed that Mr Farrugia had tried to manipulate the witnesses to give testimony in the way he wanted it .
The court said it could understand the emotions of somebody who was the victim of aggression, but this did not give him any right to carry out manoeuvres to twist the hand of justice.
All this raised serious doubts as to what had really happened when Mr Farrugia and Mr Chetcuti met on March 11, 2010.
Later in its judgement, the Court ordered the Police Commissioner to investigate Mr Farrugia or other persons who had given evidence in this case,
ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE DROPPED
The Attorney General's decision to drop the attempted murder charge followed contrasting evidence earlier in the proceedings on the seriousness of the injuries suffered by Mr Farrugia.
Then defence counsel Manuel Mallia (now minister) had produced the text of SMS messages between one of Mr Farrugia's children and a doctor treating him - Anthony Samuel.
Drs Mario Scerri and Malcolm Crockford had contrasted Dr Samuel's view that there were rib fractures.
During final submissions on the case, Edward Gatt, the lawyer representing Mr Chetcuti accused Mr Farrugia of blatantly lying under oath.
Dr Gatt said Mr Farrugia had initially said he was hit at least 10 times on the face and later he increased the number to 15 to 20 times.
Dr Gatt said that if his client had hit really hit Mr Farrugia 15 to 20 times, everyone would know the consequences, considering Mr Chetcuti's heavy build.
One of the witnesses, he said, was Marcella Agius, who was the first person to enter Mr Farrugia’s office after the incident. She opened the door and found the director general on the floor.
Vince FarrugiaGRTU officials Paul Abela and Joe Attard, who walked in after Ms Agius, said they saw Mr Farrugia being kicked, which was not true.
Dr Gatt referred to the testimony of Sylvia Gauci who clearly said that she had been asked to testify that Mr Farrugia was being kicked and that Mr Chetcuti was telling Mr Farrugia 'I will kill you'. This was not true, the lawyer said.
His client, Dr Gatt said, was initially charged with attempted murder because two police officials wanted to look good before Mr Farrugia, who was a PN candidate, and with the previous administration. He called for an investigation into the case.
Mr Farrugia’s lawyer Steve Tonna Lowell said that Dr Gatt had ignored all the evidence and asked for an investigation just because he did not like the testimony that had been given.
The evidence showed that Mr Farrugia had suffered much more than just slight injuries. He had punched Mr Farrugia so hard that Mr Chetcuti broke his hand.