Witness says she retracted statement some time after ‘brief coincidental meeting’ with Sandro Chetcuti, but denies being offered bribes

A witness who had retracted a statement given under oath during criminal proceedings against Sandro Chetcuti said in court today that this happened sometime after a "brief and coincidental" meeting with the accused. However, she denied ever discussing the merits of the case with Mr Chetcuti or that he had offered her money to change her version of events. Sylvia Gauci was testifying during criminal proceedings against GRTU president Paul Abela, 65, from Naxxar, deputy president Philip Fenech, 61, from Sliema and retired director general Vince Farrugia, 72, from St Paul's Bay who are pleading not guilty to perjury and subornation of witnesses. The case which is being heard before Magistrate Doreen Clarke is over their alleged involvement in an attempt to distort the course of justice in a criminal case against Mr Chetcuti, who had been convicted of assaulting Mr Farrugia in his GRTU office in 2010. In her police statement as well as during the court proceedings against Mr Chetcuti, Ms Gauci had testified about seeing Mr Chetcuti beating Mr Farrugia on the floor. However, in November 2012, she corrected her statement in court saying she had not witnessed the actual incident but...

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