The following is the witness of EU Commissioner John Dalli on the 13th November 1999. It is a true and faithful translation from the Maltese Court records. This witness was given prior to J. Ellul-Grech’s arrest. John Dalli makes many accusations against Ellul-Grech without having any evidence to support them. Further down you will find copies of the original transcripts in Maltese.
Also prior to this in June 1999 Ellul-Grech had reported to the Police Commissioner (George Grech) and the Prime Minister the irregularities at Daewoo.
EU Commissioner John Dalli gives detailed information of how these allegedly false bank statements were put together. At this very early stage of the investigation Dalli also knew how many letters were sent even though the police had not collected and counted all of them. This witness was given two days after he made his complaint to the police. At no stage of the investigation was John Dalli able to support his false and malicious accusations with any tangible evidence.
John Dalli accuses Ellul-Grech of sending him part of a bank statement. Yet again Dalli did not bring any proof to confirm this. He did not produce any evidence that the bank statement was false.
After a six-hour search headed by Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar at Ellul-Grech’s home the police did not find any evidence to connect Ellul-Grech to these anonymous letters. The only evidence found at Ellul-Grech’s home was the copy that John Dalli gave to him when Dalli asked the defendant to attened at Dalli's Ministery. Dalli confirmed this in his witness.
Dalli accused Ellul-Grech of sending him a copy of the statement without producing it as evidence. He also did not say why or how he decided it was Ellul-Grech. The only evidence was the statement the Dalli had given to Ellul-Grech a few days before.
John Dalli accuses Ellul-Grech of sending him part of a bank statement. Yet again Dalli did not bring any proof to confirm this. He did not produce any evidence that the bank statement was false.
After a six-hour search headed by Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar at Ellul-Grech’s home the police did not find any evidence to connect Ellul-Grech to these anonymous letters. The only evidence found at Ellul-Grech’s home was the copy that John Dalli gave to him when Dalli asked the defendant to attened at Dalli's Ministery. Dalli confirmed this in his witness.
Dalli accused Ellul-Grech of sending him a copy of the statement without producing it as evidence. He also did not say why or how he decided it was Ellul-Grech. The only evidence was the statement the Dalli had given to Ellul-Grech a few days before.
Magistrates Court (Malta)
Magistrate Dr. Antonio Mizzi LL.D., Mag.JUR.(Eur.Law)
In the acts into the investigation regarding anonymous letters to the Honourable Minister John Dalli, Minister of Finance:
The Honourable Minister John Dalli,
Minister of Finance, son of the late Karmenu,
Born in Qormi and resides at 272, Main Street, Balzan,
In Maltese and under oath states.
Magistrate: Minister recently something has happened, can you explain what happened?
John Dalli: I, from telephone calls that I started to receive from certain people was told letters relating to me were being distributed by post. I asked the person that phoned me and I asked them to send it to me, give me a copy of these letters and as soon I saw the contents of the letters that were being sent I soon realized that there was an anonymous letter based on a bank statement and in the first instance I recognized that these were falsified documents and of course the insinuations that were in this letter based on the information on this account were false. I reported this case to the police and because a few days earlier I had received part of this document from another person named Joe Ellul Grech. I asked him to come to my office and I confronted him and asked him why he had sent it and gave it back to him, its copy and he confirmed that he had sent the document, the first part, he had sent me part of this document. I told the police about him and the police continued with their enquiries.
(That was very kind of John Dalli to give the statement to the defendant).
(That was very kind of John Dalli to give the statement to the defendant).
Magistrate: Minister you mean that the person that you mentioned, Mr. Ellul Grech confirmed to you that he really had sent the document that you had received?
John Dalli: Yes, he confirmed to me that he had sent the document. I am exhibiting to the duty Magistrate, a letter sent from certain Dom Bilocca who lives in Mosta but it was consigned to me. This letter consists of three pages. I want to be precise Mr. Magistrate that is one of the many letters that were returned to me, one of hundreds of letters returned to me.
John Dalli: I have no idea, I think thousands. I mean that is what is being said, I also asked the people to send them to the police depot as soon as they receive them however I do not know what is there or isn’t there but we have thousands. I am exhibiting to the duty Magistrate this envelope that is being marked as document number 1. In this envelope is being marked document number 2, bank statement of “Midland bank Trust Corporation (Jersey) Ltd”, it indicates that the supposed beneficiary is J. Dalli esquire, 272, Main Street, Balzan, Malta. It is being marked document number 3 a photocopy of ‘Minister declaration of personal income and assets where naturally there is a declaration of my personal income and assets that I declared. It is being exhibited as document number 4 the letter that practically explains the contents of the other two letters.
Magistrate: Minister if you please, I am showing you document number 2 that is “Midland Bank Trust Corporation (Jersey) Ltd statement of account, what are your comments about this document if you please?
John Dalli: I, this document in fact was made up from different paper (different bank statements), mounted together and perhaps different paper for the reason I am going to say Magistrate. I am informed that the system of account numbering that is on this document has not been used by the bank since 1987 meaning it was 1987 that the Bank used this system of account numbering and the transactions on this document are transactions dated 1994. Meaning it is obvious that this was made from different paper (different bank statements) and mounted together with amendment whoever made this document.
Magistrate: Meaning that statement and the monies have nothing to do with you?
John Dalli: No, that money has nothing to do with me and have been taken from another statement and were mounted together on another account.
Magistrate: What can you tell me about the global contents of these three sheets of paper? Because you have a statement that is particular, you have a declaration of assets and the letter.John Dalli: No, that money has nothing to do with me and have been taken from another statement and were mounted together on another account.
John Dalli: But that statement is basically saying that I have assets of around Lm139, 000 (US$346, 129). In fact these Lm139, 000 do not belong to me.
Ass. Commissioner: Did you ever live at San Pawl tat-Targa?
John Dalli: Yes I had an address “White Lodge”, San Pawl tat-Targa.
Ass. Commissioner: From when to when did you live there.
John Dalli: I lived in that house from 1979 to 1986 or 1987 I think, I can give you the exact dates if I check with the sale contract.
The duty Magistrate declares that this is the witness of the Honourable Minister John Dalli given by him in the presence of Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar.
Magistrate Antonio Mizzi
I declare that this is a transcript is true, correct and faithful and to the latest information made to the best of my ability and registration of that tape.
Brian Avellino
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