The Attorney General is not going to be cross-examined in the case filed by the Opposition Leader in relation to the Egrant inquiry report.
All was set for the Constitutional proceedings to continue on Tuesday morning, when Victoria Buttigieg from the AG's office informed the court there was to be no cross-examination of Peter Grech.
Dr Grech had testified under oath during the previous sitting on September 25 that he had first given the prime minister a photocopied version of the full Egrant inquiry report and then mailed an electronic copy to the Justice Minister at the latter's request, acting as the legal counsel to the prime minister.
This statement had subsequently prompted a reaction from the Chamber of Advocates, which had said this would be a breach of the code of ethics.
Dr Grech had been testifying in constitutional proceedings filed by leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia, claiming a breach of rights on account of the AG’s decision to deny him a full copy of the Egrant inquiry report, which runs into some 1,500 pages.
The inquiry was conducted by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja after Daphne Caruana Galizia had reported that trust documents showed the prime minister's wife to be the ultimate beneficiary of proceeds in a secret Panama company called Egrant. The prime minister and his wife had denied the claims, and the inquiry found no evidence to support the claims.
Read: Court allows Delia to summon the AG as witness in Egrant report case
In view of this, Vincent Galea, assisting Dr Delia, informed the court that he was asking that the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister to be summoned to testify at the next sitting.
In view of facts revealed during the previous sitting, the applicant also wished to summon Deputy Attorney General Philip Galea Farrugia to establish when the latter had withdrawn the original copy of the inquiry from Magistrate Aaron Bugeja and also to ascertain what had happened in the ensuing interval until that copy was handed over to the AG.
Countering this request, Dr Buttigieg pointed out that the AG had already explained how Dr Galea Farrugia had collected the report. Moreover, the case was all about Dr Delia’s challenge over the AG’s discretion to deny him a full copy of the report.
“We have objections to everything,” Dr Galea remarked.
In a decree delivered in open court, Mr Justice Robert Mangion upheld the applicant’s request, adjourning the case to the next sitting when Prime Minister and Justice Minister are to appear personally to testify under oath.
The case continues later this month.