Out of court, GRTU rebuts witnesses’ testimony on ‘provocative’ Vince Farrugia

The Chamber of SMEs takes up the mantle of director Vince Farrugia in a public statement on the witnesses presented by defendant Sandro Chetcuti in the criminal trial he faces on charges of assaulting Farrugia and causing him grievous bodily harm.

Former minister Michael Falzon, and ex-GRTU officers Mark Saliba and Joe Tabone told a court this morning that Vince Farrugia had at several times, displayed a "provocative" attitude towards his critics, and that he may have provoked Chetcuti - then a GRTU vice-president - when he was attacked at the GRTU offices back in 2010.

In a statement, the GRTU dubbed the witnesses' statements a "character assassination" of Farrugia, and said they were still to be cross-examined by the prosecution.

GRTU president Paul Abela said he would take all necessary action over the "erroneous and misleading assertions", claiming they were "perjury" and alleged that meetings mentioned in court by witness Michael Falzon, "could not have possibly been held as stated".

Abela, who issued the statement for the GRTU council, also said that claims by former GRTU officers Mark Saliba and Joe Tabone were "false assertions" by people who had been voted out of the GRTU's executive council.

He disputed claims that he had opposed an audit of the GRTU's finances, requested by treasurer Mark Saliba, saying that the GRTU engages a professional auditing firm to for all account management, internal audit and external audit, even though not required at law.

Abela said that Saliba had already been satisfied with a reply from the GRTU over a bank account that had "not been properly opened", and which turned out to be not a GRTU account but an account for members in a specific agreement with government authorities.

He also disputed Tabone's claims that the MTFC's funds were given back to the trade fair corporation's shareholders, GRTU included, instead of being donated to charity. "The monies are duly accounted for in GRTU bank accounts as certified by independent and public auditors and as confirmed to Mr Tabone by GRTU bankers. Mr Tabone has been briefed fully on his claims by the auditors and again the GRTU executive council is satisfied that Mr Tabone had accepted the verified explanation then given."