Updated | Minister’s aide was only following up on journalists’ questions on Vella arrest
In his police statement, Vella says police inspector answered telephone call in which home affairs minister's chief of staff, Silvio Scerri, was mentioned.
29 October 2013, 12:00am
James J. Piscopo
James J. Piscopo
2 min read
An immigration official who was arrested and questioned on the alleged taking of photos in a restricted area at Malta International Airport, has reiterated his innocence on accusations that he had photographed two government officials as they passed through passport control.
The official, former TV presenter Norman Vella, released a copy of the statement he gave to the police during the interrogation.
Vella denies having taken photos of government's chief communications coordinator Kurt Farrugia and home affairs ministry spokesperson Ramona Attard, and leaking them to blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.
In his statement to the police, Vella also points out that during the interrogation and in the presence of her colleagues, police inspector Maria Stella Attard took a call in which she answered, “who is Silvio Scerri?” - a reference to the chief of staff of home affairs minister Manuel Mallia - and that he heard her say she does not divulge any information except to the police commissioner.
But in a reaction, Scerri told MaltaToday that upon learning of the arrest from questions put to him by the media on Sunday evening, he called the police Community & Media Relations Unit (CMRU) to enquire about the arrest. "The person who took my call at the CMRU told me she did not know anything but that she would check on the matter... if anything, it was the CMRU member who was inquiring on the matter after I first called up for information."
Scerri said he was only following up on journalists' questions, to find out what had led to Vella's arrest. "Since Ramona Attard was abroad, journalists were contacting me as chief of staff for information on the matter."
In his statement to the media, Norman Vella also emphasised that he was under arrest while being interrogated, in contrast to comments made by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in which he said that Vella had only been taken in for questioning.
In his police statement, Vella said that none of the alleged photos he was accused of taking had been found either on his mobile or on his tablet. Both were confiscated by police.
"I was told that CCTV footage would be analysed - I declare that any footage of me with a mobile phone in my hand was for my personal used and not to take any photos. I was also told at the start of the interrogation that I would be suspended from work, which decision was changed in the course of the interrogation," Vella said.
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This Silvio Scerri seems to put his nose into everything. He seems to be the main problem creator as was the case with the Elton Taliana case. This seems to be another trial against a "blue-eyed" boy. Ezatt kif kien qal il-Leader "Tista ma taqbilx maghna izda tahdem maghna." Empty promises and funfare at its best....Erga afda fil-biddla Gahan Malti!!!!
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What a "martyr" this Norman Vella is, trying to make of himself as if he were some harassed "victim" during a Stalinist era, or one of the oppressed in Tianaminn Square. Somebody should gently let him down and let him know he has become a standard joke. If he wants a shoulder to cry on he should seek the shoulder of Daphne Caruana Galizia - another "martyr" for the cause? What cause you may well ask? The "cause" is a sagging PN party that in trying to gain credibility but is simply running around in circles chasing its tail - like a mad dog.
ALBERT FENECH
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Lil Guzep - jekk hemm xi motivazzjoni politika din hi gejja minn naha taghkom in-nazzjonalisti li ma thallux il-kors tal-gustizzja jiehu it-triq tieghu. Mohkom biex talleggaw, tivvintaw, tesageraw u titfghu it-tajn. Guzep, meta u kull fejn tinkiser il-ligi jew ir-regolamenti ma jigux osservati, tidhol il-pulizzija biex tinvestiga. Dejjem hekk gara u dejjem hekk ghandu jibqa' jigri. Tikkument wara fuq l-ezitu ta' l-invesigazzjoni ghandek dritt imma wara li thalli l-process jintem. Pero' intom ma tridux dan isehh ghax tridu li l-ispjuni taghkom jibghu jirrenjaw u jispjunaw fuq in-nies. Fi zmienkom dan kien isehh bil-barka tal-kapo, u issa qeghdin tohduha bi kbira li qeghdin issibu il-ligi taghmel xogholha kif suppost taghmel u kif suppost ghamlet dejjem. Intom l-indixxiplina u l-libertinagg tridu halli taghmlu li tridu u tahtfu bl-addocc.
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Gibulu maktur KBIR lil Norm halli jixxotta d-dmugh tal-kukkudrilli. U dan kif gurnalist tal-kalibru tieghek Norm ma nhatafx min NET?
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Mhux ta b'xejn li ic-civil service sejjer lura! Mela Mr Vella kien jiehu il-mobile u it-tablet waqt il-hin tax-xoghol? Only in Malta!...u iridt jiehu tieghu min fuq!!!
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NORMAN the majority of the maltese dont believe you,you lost your credibility long ago during your TV days.
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hanqa ta HMAR qatt ma teghlet is -sema.Fejnhom shabek tal Where 's Everybody?
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@ fwarjahraq
So you are more pissed off because Mr Vella used to criticize the Labour Party and not because he is in the wrong. You want to get even. Is that it? First of all these two involved are public figures and public figures is what it says they are and are subject o scrutiny. If Mr Vella was doing wrong, it is up to his supervisor to take action after a complaint is filed. The police had no business arresting this man on the spot and confiscating his phone and his ipad. But obviously this is Politically motivated and nothing else.
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Il-Gvern messu jaghmel bhal ma kienu jaghmlu n-Nazzjonalisti jaghtuh ufficcju bi skrivanija u siggu u xejn iktar halli jara dan minn xiex kienu jaghaddu l-Laburist that Gvern Nazzjonalista u mhxu taghtih xoghol u Alla jbierek jahdem il-Hadd ukoll biex idahhal il-Liri. U jekk fejn jahdem hu ma jistghux jittiehdu ritratti lanqas mobile li tista tiehu r-ritratti ma suppost idahhal mieghu ahseb u ara t-tablet, din forsi biex joqghod jilghab jew inizzel xi noti fuqha?
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Mela dan norman vella joqghod jilghab
bil mobile waqt il hin tax xoghol?
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So we have our innocent, political, martyr, whose main attribute on television was arrogance, throwing about his hands, and speaking foul of anything that smelled of Labour...how the nation`s heart bleeds for him and his co-journalist Daph....
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Did this guy ask to be given his tablet? Does this mean he wants his tablet because he has been sick since last March? Why does'nt he ask his friend (Deaf)may be she has sorted out what tablet releifs them from the pain they have?
