Inland Revenue Commissioner Marvin Gaerty strongly denied having ever been contacted about secret company 17 Black by Yorgen Fenech or his lawyers, following news that the businessman was the owner.

“Never, never, never,” stated Gaerty when returning to the witness stand on Friday at the public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

“Did you go anywhere in the vicinity of Portomaso at that time?” asked parte civile lawyer Jason Azzopardi, with reference to November 2018, when it was first revealed that Fenech was the owner of 17 Black.

“Had they told me they wanted to speak to me about that, I would certainly not have gone. They said nothing about that. Nothing, nothing,” Gaerty stressed.

His meetings with the businessman and his lawyers had always been strictly work-related and although discussions were generally held at the tax chief’s office, there was one meeting held at Fenech’s Portomaso office. 

“But that is sometimes done when many lawyers or other people are involved,” explained Gaerty.

“Was it related to 17 Black?” 

“Absolutely not! It was about a VAT issue, a very technical matter,” said the witness.

Gaerty also confirmed having been questioned in recent months by police over some communication between him and Fenech, explaining that it had been a “very informal 10 to 15-minute meeting with the police.”

The communication had involved a work-related reply via email and copied in a message, sent from the tax commissioner’s work email.

He had handed over full correspondence to the police.

Gaerty is expected to return to the inquiry in a fortnight, with information about a list of people and companies indicated by the board, after having obtained clearance from the prime minister.

Should that clearance be withheld or granted under restrictions, the board would want to know the reasons thereof and the channel of communication involved, on a case by case basis.

Gaerty was assisted by Tax Department lawyer Vincienne Vella.