Daughter of former director of contracts testifies

The daughter of the former director of contracts yesterday took the witness stand in the compilation of evidence against a private investigator charged with filing a report against people he knew to be innocent.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti heard Claudine Cassar explain she was the daughter of Joseph Spiteri who retired from the post of director of contracts last month.

She said she did not know Sebastian Dalli, the brother of MP John Dalli and had first seen him at the police headquarters when she was questioned about the case. She also denied knowing several other people who were mentioned to her in court.

Answering questions put to her by the prosecuting officers, Cassar gave an account of her travelling schedule in the past two years and said that although she had been to Naples in July 2002 and had visited Valle d'Aosta she had never been to Florence.

In his testimony on August 13 Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Cassar, who is heading the prosecution together with Inspector Ian Abdilla, had explained how on July 15 Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi asked the police to investigate allegations made in a report drawn up by Joe Zahra.

In the report, which alleged irregularities in the allocation of the Mater Dei Hospital, Zahra claimed that Claudine Cassar, managing director of Alert Communications Ltd, had met representatives of INSO SpA and spoken with Sebastian Dalli.

Zahra, 50, of Marsascala is pleading not guilty to filing a report against people he knew to be innocent and spreading false news that could alarm the public.

The case continues.