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Former police officers Ivan Portelli and David Gatt dismissed from the force four years ago were never brought before the Public Service Commission, several witnesses said in court Wednesday.
Giving evidence in court, Superintendent Ronald Kelly said he was the police official responsible for disciplinary measures and that in respect of Portelli and Gatt, former Commissioner George Grech requested the Prime Minister to dismiss them, but when asked for the reasons for dismissal said he was not aware of them.
Kelly said that the Prime Minister agreed to the request for dismissal, but that he never contacted Portelli and Gatt who were informed that they would no longer be in the force after the Prime Minister confirmed it.
Asked whether former Commissioner Grech had spoken to him, Kelly replied in the negative and asked whether there were other policemen that were kicked out of the force ‘in the national interest,’ that never appeared before the PSC, he said yes, but could not remember the names.
Taking the witness stand George Grech said he had given evidence to the Public Service Commission, but that neither Gatt nor Portelli were asked to appear before it. Officials from the Public Service Commission said they could not comment on the case because the law denied them that possibility.
When lawyers Edward Gatt and Angelo Farrugia appearing for Grech and Portelli asked the Public Service Commission and Superintendent Kelly to bring documentary evidence before the court related to any investigations that may have been carried out on Portelli and Gatt, the lawyers appearing for the Prime Minister and the PSC objected stating that the law precluded such evidence being made public.
Former Commissioner Grech told the court that his letter to the Prime Minister was also sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
When George Grech was asked to elaborate on the reasons for the dismissal of Gatt he said he could not because a certain case was sub judice and he was bound to secrecy.
Grech told the court Gatt was dismissed because several criminal people had taken him into their confidence and said he had seen an report prepared by current Commissioner John Rizzo which was an investigation conducted on Gatt. Grech was asked whether he spoke to Gatt about his alleged contacts with criminals and replied that he had not.
Speaking about Ivan Portelli, Grech said the former Inspector was among a number of police officers that were the subject of an investigation being conducted by the Attorney General. Grech also said that Portelli was on a yacht with a known smuggler whose name he did not mention; along with judge Carmel Agius, another former judge and a person who was subject to a police search by the same Portelli. Grech told the court that when he confronted him about what he had done on that day, Portelli failed to mention that he was on a yacht and only remembered when it was brought to his attention.
The former Commissioner also said that Portelli was involved with people who were selling cars stolen from Europe.
The police officers who were dismissed from the force “in the public interest” have instituted a Constitutional case against the Prime Minister claiming unfair dismissal. The case is being heard in front of Justice Joseph Azzopardi and the next hearing has been affixed for 15 December, 2004.
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