Former minister Chris Cardona, who signed the memorandum of understanding with Vitals Global Healthcare in 2014, is expected to testify in Joseph Muscat’s money laundering case linked to the now-annulled corrupt deal.
Cardona’s name was mentioned among a list of witnesses requested by the Attorney General when the former prime minister, his former chief of staff Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi and all other defendants were back in court on Thursday.
Today’s hearing followed in the wake of last month’s session wherein the court declared that there was sufficient prima facie evidence for all defendants, except one, to stand trial on indictment.
That sitting had ended with a discharge in respect of Sciacca Grill Ltd, a restaurant-owning company with past ties to Schembri.
Lawyers Franco Debono and David Bonello successfully argued that the prosecution failed to produce a shred of evidence to substantiate its allegations.
Magistrate Rachel Montebello subsequently decreed that even if Sciacca Grill had benefited from contracts linked to the hospitals’ concession, no proof was put forward linking it to Schembri or any criminal activity.
When the case resumed today against the other defendants, the court mapped out the ground to be covered over the next sittings scheduled throughout this time window which ends on August 24, when the case file is sent back to the Attorney General’s office.
Running through the list of witnesses requested by the prosecution, the magistrate mentioned Malta Enterprise, Jobsplus, INDIS, Projects Malta, the clerk of the House of Representatives and the Auditor General.
Other witnesses were related to the steering committee as well as the evaluation and negotiation committees involved in the process leading up to the granting of the concession to VGH.
Cardona, as the then-minister who signed the original MoU, was also on the prosecution’s list.
Another session is expected to be reserved for forensic accounting experts who were involved in the magisterial inquiry leading up to criminal action over the controversial deal.
The experts are expected to testify in court since they might have to present documents and will most likely face cross-examination by the defendants' lawyers.
Today’s hearing was relatively brief.
Most of it was taken up by a long line of local bank representatives, twenty in all, who were summoned to testify about banking relations, if any, with two of the defendants, namely Kasco Engineering Company Ltd and MTrace Ltd.
Almost all of them confirmed that the bank never had any form of business with the two companies.
“We have never had and do not have any accounts,” “no banking relationship now or in the past,” said each of the witnesses, presenting written confirmation of the search results.
The last two witnesses representing Bank of Valletta and HSBC Bank Malta Ltd were the only ones who had some evidence to offer.
Bank of Valletta presented banking statements relating to Mtrace, a former client.
As for Kasco Engineering, the company held five accounts. Details and bank statements as well as information about the closure of any accounts and up-to-date information in respect of the others were presented in court.
MTrace had no relationship, past or present, with HSBC.
Kasco Engineering had five accounts between 2004 and 2011, all of which have since been closed. A box file of documents was presented to that effect.
The case continues next week.