Here’s John Dalli’s friend and business partner again: what a bad penny
The Emma Corbin in this news report, in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz (2002), is John Dalli’s friend and business partner, with whom he stayed in the Bahamas three years ago – Mary Swan aka Lady Bird aka Emma Corbin, real name Marie Elouise Corbin Klein.
The report in full:
Ya’akov Shmulevitz, who was a state’s witness in the trial of former Shas leader Arye Deri, yesterday accused Deri’s people of trying to influence Swiss judges to have him arrested and so prevent his testifying against Deri.
Shmulevitz, who was instrumental in Deri’s conviction, is being sued by Deri for NIS 1 million for slander, following a Channel One television interview in October 2000, in which Shmulevitz reportedly said: “Deri’s people had influenced judges in Switzerland to incriminate me.”
He also said, “I have a lot of material, including video and audio cassettes proving unequivocally that the whole Switzerland story was organized by Deri’s people.” Shmulevitz yesterday presented his letter of defense to Haifa’s Magistrate’s Court. It is based on video and audio cassettes whose content has not been revealed. Deri’s people, says Shmulevitz, boasted they were behind Shmulevitz’s arrest in Switzerland, where he and his business partner Emma Corbin were investigated for alleged fraud.
Shmulevitz says Deri’s people met Corbin a few times in Cyprus and tried to persuade her to incriminate Shmulevitz, promising her financial help and to use their influence with the judges in Switzerland to close the case. Shmulevitz says he documented the meetings and talks between Deri’s people – attorneys On Neiman and Gilad Bloy, Motti Goldfarb and Rafi Rahav – and Corbin on cassettes.
In a recorded telephone conversation between Corbin and Neiman – transcribed in the letter of defense – Corbin says: “Is Goldfarb in Geneva? Has he spoken to the judges yet?”
Neiman: “I don’t know if he’s spoken already … I really don’t know. I can’t tell you anything. I only know he went there, and he will try to talk, that’s all.”
Corbin: “You know he said the judges …”
Neiman: “There are two, two who are good friends …to talk to them – there is no need for any paper.”
In a video recording in a hotel room, the defense says Corbin had this conversation:
Neiman: “Now Mr. Goldfarb is in Geneva, he’s already met his people, our people, there, and he will probably be back tomorrow.”
Corbin: “He said he was going to meet those two judges.”
Neiman: “That’s true. Two judges, yes.”
In another recording, Corbin says to Goldfarb: “… told me those two judges are very good friends of all of you … and that you spoke to them and you’re sure it will all be closed.”
Goldfarb:”That’s true.”
Shmulevitz’s lawyers Adam Fish and Ron Berant reject Deri’s slander suit, arguing that their client had referred to Deri’s people in his statement, rather than to Deri himself, and the latter could therefore not be harmed by the utterance. But the lawyers said they would not ask for a dismissal because Shmulevitz wants the trial and to broadcast the cassette contents.