The President’s Office has declined to comment on Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation officials testifying that meetings were held at San Anton prior to a civil lawsuit sitting concerning the 2015 Paqpaqli crash.
The Times of Malta reported earlier this month that Gordon Pace and Lisa Brooke testified that the President’s chief of staff, John Camilleri, had coordinated pre-court meetings during which, together with the lawyers, he underscored that the Paqpaqli car show was not organised directly by the foundation but was a “third-party event”.
Mr Camilleri is also chairman of the foundation’s board of administrators.
When asked whether the President was aware of the evidence in question and the meetings held at her official residence, a spokesman said the President did not wish to comment.
Since the case is ongoing, we are not in a position to reply
“Since the case is still ongoing, we are not in a position to reply,” he said.
When it was pointed out that the questions were not about the merits of the court case but on the decision made by Mr Camilleri and his behaviour, the spokesman reiterated: “Since the case is ongoing, the President is not in a position to comment.”
Transcripts of the court evidence show that, especially during Dr Brooke’s evidence, Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff, hearing the civil cases filed by people injured when a luxury car ploughed into spectators, intervened on a number of occasions reminding the witnesses that they were under oath and, therefore, bound to tell the whole truth.
Pressed to state whether the Paqpaqli għall-Istrina event fell under the responsibility of the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation or not, the main bone of contention of the case, both Mr Pace and Dr Brooke, a lawyer by profession, kept insisting it was considered a third party event.
After a series of questions by the victims’ lawyers and, on a few occasions, also by the judge, they admitted it was emphasised during the meetings called by Mr Camilleri that Paqpaqli was a “third party-event”.
The President herself and Mr Camilleri had also insisted thus when they testified earlier.
Six civil lawsuits were instituted by the victims of the 2015 incident, during which 23 people were injured, some of them seriously.
The lawsuits are against President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, members of her staff and members of the car show organising committee, most of them volunteers.
The President and the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation are insisting that since the car show was held by third parties, they could not be held responsible for the incident and for any damages.