[WATCH]: Court: Claudio Grech show-off and reckless

In Wednesday’s blog Franco Debono writes about how new PN candidate Claudio Grech was found guilty of falsifying an ID card: “On the 12 the March 1996  the Court of  Magistrates presided by magistrate Dennis Montebello delivered a judgment for charges of counterfeiting of seals, stamps or other government marks under s.172 of the Criminal Code. It falls under the Title ‘Of Crimes affecting Public Trust’ and the applicable punishment is from thirteen months to three years imprisonment. Imprisonment means jail, prison.”

Without mentioning him by name Debono goes on to say: “The case dealt with the production, by means of a scanner, and use of a counterfeit police ID card by a twenty year old who two or three years later ended up working in Castille or some other ministry. The convicted person was familiar with the police headquarters since he used to work there as a student and he found no scruples in making use of this familiarity. He falsified the ID card to impress his girlfriend.”

Since being found guilty of falsifying an ID card Claudio Grech has occupied several sensitive positions within the Maltese government. He has had access to a wide ranging information base about the Maltese electorate. In fact he was responsible for Malta Electronic Certification Services Ltd, the organisation which provides digital certification services to all citizens in Malta. Although one should not assume that he still has access to this information, or that this information will be used in his role as campaign advisor to the PN, he still has access to MITA. Grech had resigned as Chairman of MITA but was asked to stay on by Austin Gatt as an advisor.  

Delivering its judgement, the court said: ‘l-agir tal-imputat kien dettat minn nuqqas ta’ ghaqal u nuqqas t’apprezzament dwar il-gravita’ tal-azzjoni tieghu u li L-AGIR TIEGHU KIEN DETTAT MINN XEWQA LI JIMPRESSJONA LIL SHABU’.

Debono wrote: “Now the PN wants to get rid of this egoism and narcissism. So what they do. They approve new candidates. They tell you, now forget about Franco Debono, he is past, Jeffrey and Jesmond. Forget even Austin. He is not contesting.

“Let me introduce you to the new faces which are going to destroy narcissism and renew the PN.

“This man has been approved new PN candidate, in the same session that I and other two mps were deselected. This man has had access to very sensitive and personal information about all Maltese citizens for the past years. This man is one of the PN new faces which will remove any traces of narcissism, egoism and lack of team spirit from the party. This man has fallen foul of criminal law.”

Debono wrote: “I might have shown my form IIC results, I might have come out with proposals for reform, and one might even stretch the argument that I wished to be in cabinet. But I never committed criminal offences to impress others!”