Two top officials and the retired head of the GRTU yesterday pleaded not guilty to attempting to distort the course of justice during a criminal case against a council member convicted of assault.

The president of the Malta Chamber of SMEs, Paul Abela, 64, from Naxxar, its deputy president Philip Fenech, 60, from Sliema, and Vince Farrugia, its retired former director general, from St Paul’s Bay, appeared before Magistrate Doreen Clarke.

They denied charges of perjury and subornation of witnesses.

During the first sitting yesterday, Police Inspector James Grech gave the court a detailed account of different versions the three had given on what really happened in March 2010 when developer Sandro Chetcuti assaulted Mr Farrugia at the association’s offices in Valletta.

Mr Chetcuti had originally been accused of trying to kill Mr Farrugia but the prosecution had dropped this charge. He was eventually convicted of having slightly injured Mr Farrugia and sentenced to one month in jail suspended for a year.

Inspector Grech said he had found inconsistencies between the versions they gave police on theday of the incident and those they presented giving evidence in court. He also referred a long list of text messages in which there appeared to have been a concerted effort to agree on what to say in court.

The case continues next month.

Police Inspector Saviour Baldacchino prosecuted while lawyers Giannella de Marco, Steve Tonna Lowell and Joe Giglio were defence counsel. Lawyer Edward Gatt appeared for Mr Chetcuti.