Inquiry fails to prove leakage to media, but questions meeting with journalist

The issue before the Attorney General evolves around the conclusions reached by the governmental inquiry headed by former Cabinet secretary Alfred Fiorini Lowell into allegations raised in a report drawn up by Marica Mizzi, the President’s press secretary.

Mizzi – a former actress – recounted what she heard at table during a State Dinner at the Palace on June 30, which was held in honour of visiting Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

In her report, Marica Mizzi wrote details of a conversation between a number of guestsat the dinner that included Malta Independent acting editor Noel Grima.

As a conversation ensued over MaltaToday’s stories on irregularities within the Office of the President, Grima reportedly admitted that he had met Olaph Terribile some days earlier, and that he (Terribile) “had a file” in hand.

Mizzi, who is company secretary to a beleaguered production company that was ‘absorbed’ into the Office of the President, reportedly delivered the allegation that Olaph Terribile had met with Saviour Balzan and not with Noel Grima, while also adding that Terribile had passed on documents.

It then took Abela almost two days pondering what to do about this information, and decided to write to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi , and received a reply saying that an inquiry was to be set up to investigate the allegation.

Senior officials had told this MaltaToday that Abela may have been apprehensive about rumours that MaltaToday had a “big story” to break in its Sunday edition, and hastily decided to call a press conference at 4pm last Saturday to announce the inquiry before government before it had been established. The move was described by government sources as a deliberate ‘arm twister’.

Questioned, President Abela could not provide any answers as to what the inquiry’s terms of reference were, and who was to head it. Neither did Martin Bugelli, the Director General for Government Information who sat next to the President during the press conference. He said: “I do not have any information to give, neither on who will head the inquiry, perhaps you will have some information next week…”

The President – who admitted that the report to Castille was filed by a member of his staff, stopping short of naming Marica Mizzi, who was in the same room – refused to say what was in the documents that were allegedly leaked when asked by MaltaToday.

MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan, categorically stated that he never met Olaph Terribile, and was never given any documents by the same.

Noel Grima was also summoned before the inquiry, and – in subsequent comments to MaltaToday – stressed his disgust at Marica Mizzi’s fabrication.

Contacted, Grima branded Marica Mizzi as a “blatant liar”, adding that all those who are invited to the Palace must “beware of being recorded, misinterpreted or having his conversations transcribed and passed on to the President.”

Mizzi’s fabrication has generated an unprecedented fall out for the Office of the President. President Abela appears to have based his declaration of having “no faith” in former aide Olaph Terribile, on the sole premise that what Marica Mizzi told him was true.

The statement raised many eyebrows in government circles, as Olaph Terribile is known for his long-standing loyalty after 30 years of service to the country. Terribile was also supposed to take up the position as Malta’s new Deputy High Commissioner to London later this month.

But while President George Abela has kept silent on the real reasons behind the fall-out with Olaph Terribile, and has not to date commented about the allegations of mismanagement and financial irregularities at the Palace, the inquiry conclusions are a definite weight on the Office of the President that initiated the investigation.

MaltaToday is informed that the inquiry did in fact establish that Olaph Terribile never met up with Saviour Balzan and never gave him any documents.

The main allegation against the former secretary to the Presidency has been discarded, but when the inquiry report was sent back to the Office of the Prime Minister, it was decided that a final decision should be taken by the Attorney General for “advice” over the lunch Olaph Terribile had with Noel Grima.