Civil Service chief says Joseph Borg had ‘every right’ to report malpractice

Principal Permanent Secretary Godwin Grima took the witness stand this morning in the compilation of evidence against Joseph Borg, 75 of Swieqi who stands charged with sending an email threatening Rita Schembri, the Permanent Secretary at the Internal Audit and Investigations Department (IAID).

Grima - who said that he was not in a position to reveal the contents of an email he received by Borg some days earlier because the information is "privileged" and is also a subject of an internal governmental investigation - said that Borg had "every right" to report any civil servant for alleged malpractices.

He added that the allegations made by Borg has been included in an internal investigation by the IAID and by the Auditor General.

The Head of the Civil Service also said that he was unaware that Rita Schembri was running a private business, and told defence lawyer Edward De Bono that the contents of a judgment handed against Schembri, ordering her to immediately vacate a premisies owned byu the accused was also under investigation.

The judgment had said that Schembri had recieved payment for two premia from two tenants to whom she had fraudulently sub-let without Borg knowing.

Grima confirmed that the Estacode prohibits any senior civil servant from enagaging in any private business.

While Magistrate Anthony Vella formally indicted Joseph Borg after Police concluded their list of witnesses, Constable Christian Granata denied allegations of knowing of a plot by Rita Schembri's husband Mark, to eliminate Joseph Borg.

Granata was summoned to testify in the wake of the revelations made last week by Borg's son-in-law Simon Balzan - who claimed that the witness had spoken to him about the plot.

According to Balzan, Mark Schembri had approached the witness brother Omar and asked him to pool in €10,000 because he knew people who could beat up borg and dump him in the sea, making his death look like a suicide.

But Constable Granata was categoric in his testimony this morning saying that he never knew or mentioned anything of the sort with Balzan or anybody else.

"I am a Policeman and I am duty bound to take immediate action to prevent such crimes," Granata told Magistrate Vella.

He said that he got to know about the allegation made by Balzan through the MaltaToday and The Times websites last week while he was on hioliday, and his brother Omar had called him to tell him that he was "all over the news."

Granata said that he contacted prosecuting Inspector Chris Pullicino to tell he that he knew nothing about the plot, and was instructed to appear before Magistrate Vella this morning.

However, Granata alleged that on his return to Malta last Saturday night, Balzan approached his brother in a bid to influence his testimony.

Pressed to reveal what he knew about this latest twist, Granata said that he was informed to either "tell the truth, say nothing or lie."

The case is adjourned for January.