Vince Farrugia hospitalised after being kicked and beaten by Magistrate Herrera's close friend
I don't take cocaine but I beat up union officials. Meanwhile, I'll try to impress Jesmond Mugliett's wife with some groovy shapes, forsi r-ragel taghha jivvota kontra l-gvern.
GRTU chief Vince Farrugia has been rushed to hospital in an ambulance, suffering from concussion and other injuries, after property developer and fellow GRTU council member Sandro Chetcuti, a close friend of Magistrate Herrera and one of Joseph Muscat’s star candidates for the 2013 general election, knocked him to the ground in his Valletta office and kicked him repeatedly in the head and torso.
The attack stopped when GRTU staff members, hearing Chetcuti’s shouting and Farrugia’s calls for help, burst into the room to find Farrugia lying on the floor with Chetcuti kicking him. They immediately rang for the police and an ambulance.
Farrugia is expected to spend some days in hospital. Sandro Chetcuti has been taken into police custody and is expected to be arraigned on charges of causing grievous bodily harm. He is now being thrown off the GRTU council.
Chetcuti is shown in this photograph, which was downloaded from Magistrate Herrera’s Facebook account before she deactivated it some weeks ago, dancing at her 45th birthday party in Gozo – a private party to which the magistrate invited only her network of contacts and associates, as it was not a charity event to raise funds for the parish priest or Dar il-Providenza, as she claimed in court in respect of other events she organised.
The assault was provoked by events at last night’s GRTU council meeting, at which Vince Farrugia let Chetcuti know that the council is displeased at the way he is acting as a personal liaison point between Labour leader Joseph Muscat and business owners. Chetcuti, acting outside his capacity as a GRTU council member, contacts business owners and operators, asks them whether they would like to have dinner with Joseph Muscat, then books a table at Madliena Cottage and sets up the meeting.
Labour Party employee Marisa Micallef is paid to do the same thing, but with members of Malta’s ‘smart set’ (the inverted commas are essential).
There was an angry exchange of views at the council meeting, after which Chetcuti left. Vince Farrugia then received a text message from Chetcuti on his mobile phone (din bhal ta’ Fantozzi), beginning “Illum Vince kellimni…” and going on to describe how he had been told off for abusing his GRTU council position by doing the Labour leader’s personal networking.
The text message, of course, was intended for Joseph Muscat but in his ‘fixxla’ Chetcuti sent it to Vince Farrugia instead.
Farrugia rang him to tell him that he had got the message intended for Muscat, and to demand an explanation of its content. Chetcuti’s response was that it wasn’t him, that somebody had hacked into his iPhone and was sending compromising messages from it. He named two other council members as suspects, one of whom is IT illiterate and the other the sort of person who wouldn’t know how to hack into a phone even if he were dispatched to a year’s training at a Romanian hackers’ college.
Everyone went home to bed, and then today, Sandro Chetcuti charged into the GRTU offices demanding to speak to Vince Farrugia. The next thing we know is that screaming secretaries were shouting for the police and an ambulance.
99 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
This is very serious. My sympathies to Vince Farrugia, and I hope he recovers soon. I hope the police and the courts do their job irrespective of how big this fish is. Joseph Muscat has some explaning to do.
This is what Maltastar.com’s comments look like:
Joseph Saliba – 11 March 2010 16:29
VERU LI DAWN MHUX AFFARIJIET SBIEH IZDA MA NAHSIBX LI QABBIZIELU GHALXEJN LILL SANDRO. MA VINCE FARRUGIA MA TAFX FEJN INT. AVOLJA DAWN IN-NIES HADU PJACIR GHAX KIEN HEMM XI INCIDENT FIL-PROTESTA LI KELLNA TAL-UNIOUNS.
Milli jidher wahda wara l-ohra hawn gejjin tal-Cons. Kif jghid il-Malti ma min rajtni xebbahtni. Ma nafx x’qed tghamel tibqa mdendla hemm fil-qorti.
Jidher sew mir-ritratt x’bicca hobz fih dan Sandro Chetchuti.
Ghadek ma rajtux bil-Ferrari?
Zgur li kienet Ferrari minn wara, mhux xarabank?
Is it the same one he came with to Bugibba Square some years ago? I doubt it.
Flavio Briatore ta’ Malta.
Sorry Habib,
Mela veru ma tafx min hu Flavio Briatore biex lil dan il-pulcinell xebbahtu ma’ Briatore.
What next – the news that he has been arraigned before Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera?
You took the words right out of my mouth.
Issa imissu jigi mixxli quddiem Consie, tilliberah taht house-arrest, u il fajl jindifen ghall-erba snin.
Joseph Muscat’s next step will be to disassociate himself from all this – but only after an agreement with the magistrate’s friend and party goer Sandro Chetcuti for fear of what he is in a position to reveal.
As shocking as this latest revelation is, it does not divert us from the shenanigans of Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera.
Kollha salt kanalja, mohhom kif jisirqu l-flus tan-nies biex ikollhom biex jitpaxxew huma. Basta bil-BMWs u l-yachts u n-nisa u mbaghad nisseparaw. Kollha pezza wahda dawn tal-Labour. Ara ma jigix quddiem il-Cons dal-kriminal.
Not the type of news to joke about. But was he assaulting someone in this photo?
The facial expression of the lady on the right says a lot.
Not to mention the people sitting behind him with an expression of “vera qieghed sew dan id-dardira” on their faces!
The lady on the right is Karen Mugliett, Jesmond’s wife – you know for political balance at her party.
These things couldn’t be dreamed up even if anyone tried to. They act like this when they are not even in power. Imagine what they’d do come 2013.
This man was at Consuelo’s 45th birthday party. He’s one of those she described in court as ‘not having a police record’. I wonder just how proud she is now to count him among her friends, now that he is in police custody.
You’re right, Mandy, it’s the marmalja raising its head again; another Labour thug involved in a violent episode.
They are reading a majority of 35,000 votes in the EU parliamentary elections as though they are already in power in national government.
They are of course counting their chickens before they hatch – and they have a lot of chickens.
But let us be frank, the behaviour of the Hon. Jose Herrera in parliament yesterday does not help keep the situation calm.
Spot on Mandy. But I’m afraid din m’ghandiex zejt f’wicca, so yes, expect the unexpectable from her. Read that as unacceptable as well.
Imma kemm huwa bniedem ridikolu. Anke mir-ritratt jintgharaf il-bniedem li huwa bla karattru. Issa halluh jiehu gost jorganizza l-ikliet ma’ dear Joseph, minn Kordin.
Dak li hadem ta’ pulizija f’ Undercover, hux? Xi Laburist iehor li meta jitlef l-argument jinfexx fin-nies.
Star candidate for the 2013 general election? Back to Labour MPs beating people up, are we?
MikeC, as if that much isn’t obvious. They’ve had their testosterone simmering – with the odd magisterial interlude, presumably – for the last 23-odd years.
They might as well replace him with Robert Musumeci. His qualifications will make him a star to Labour – you know how impressed they are with certificates: architect, MEPA specialist, court expert, geologist and – ahem – ‘boyfriend’ of a famous magistrate.
http://maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=7602
Short and sweet il gurnalisti ta maltastar.
Trying to divert and mislead yet again….
‘..a fight broke out..’
suggesting a mutual attack, as opposed to that reported on di-ve:
‘..suddenly and without any provocation, physically assaulted Mr Farrugia, threw him to the ground, punched and kicked him repeatedly, whilst threatining Mr Farrugia with his life..’
And then in an attempt to shift blame, maltastar report that:
‘..Tension has been building up following a controversial decision to ‘block vote’ some GRTU officials from the GRTU’s executive elections..’
Well read l-Ingliz. My thoughts exactly.
They can’t say they haven’t learned anything from their past communist connections. The way they manipulate news is typical of the Soviet Russia they used to be so cosy with.
They try so hard to get the mittelklass on their side but, seriously, who the heck wants to be associated with these characters?
This reminds me of the only source of televised local news in the 70s and early 80s. Are we to expect the same type of coverage under a progressive Labour govenrment?
Joseph Muscat, please explain.
March, 2010–liars, cheats, thugs–sound familiar? Good stuff Joey. Dead and buried with three years to go.
Star candidate for the 2013 general election? What was (at least, I hope it’s ‘was’, not ‘is’) he in line for? Minister of Public Works a la Lorry Sant?
Sejjer tajjeb it-terrimot ta’ Joseph Muscat.
It is leaving a lot of victims – literally.
Joseph Saliba – 11 March 2010 16:29VERU LI DAWN MHUX AFFARIJIET SBIEH IZDA MA NAHSIBX LI QABBIZIELU GHALXEJN LILL SANDRO. MA VINCE FARRUGIA MA TAFX FEJN INT. AVOLJA DAWN IN-NIES HADU PJACIR GHAX KIEN HEMM XI INCIDENT FIL-PROTESTA LI KELLNA TAL-UNIOUNS.
mill maltastar din
Maltastar is the real TASS of Russia. They make a mockery of any news which does not go down well with their party or which may prove detrimental for their craving for power at any cost.
Dawn ma tistax tafdhom.
Wish you a speedy recovery Vince.
The more I see of Labour, the more I love my dog.
This evening all in front of the TV to watch One news.
I wonder who pays for those dinners with Joseph Muscat: the Labour Party with ‘flus minghand iz-zghir’, the businessmen (which would make it patronage) or Sandro Chetcuti (same thing)?
M’ghandhomx il-flus biex ihallsu id-dawl u ilma li juzaw huma, pero ghandhom flus biex jcemplu lill programm ta’ John Bundy fuq One TV u kull telefonata jiswa €1.16.
Maybe the Labour Business Forum can sort this one out. I hear their line up includes an LGBT criminal lawyer with strange glasses and rather strange taste in clothes.
La Redoute, Maybe Labour’s Business Forum (or LGBT if you wish) will be be sorting this one out, after all. Guess who appeared in court as defence counsel for the gentleman in the photo above?
Pathetic. You will be blamimg Muscat fpr global warming nest.
‘global warming nest’? As in rat’s nest?
A close associate of Joseph Muscat’s who organises meetings with Joseph Muscat with Joseph Muscat’s approval and for Joseph Muscat’s purposes presumably does so with Joseph Muscat’s approval and agreement.
Now that close associate has beaten up the head of a trade union who questioned his double agency and the Labour Party condemns the attack without naming the attacker and dissociating itself from him.
No one is saying is it is Joseph Muscat’s doing or at his instigation. What’s being said is that this is all rather too close for comfort – to say nothing of the display of poor judgement and low standards – and that you really have to be a Twanny not to see it.
Is-soltu storja, paroli fil-vojt m’ghand Daphne, izzejjen kollox biex tintghogob mall-PN. Tarma tivvinta u tinfama minghajr ma taf x’gara u x’kienet ir-raguni tal-glieda (erhilha li kienet x’kienet mhix gustifikata). Il-pulizija jistaw ma jinvestigaw xejn ghax din kollox taf diga.
Sur Deo Catania, int l-istess li tghid “Appogg shih ma’ ONE TV”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100216/local/ba-fines-one-tv-for-broadcasting-victor-scerri-phone-comments
Int missier Deo jew iben Den.
Mad Bus Disease: it feels as if everyone close to the magistrate is going nuts.
Perhaps they know that it won’t be so easy anymore for them to have their (wal)nuts rubbed now. With all the scrutiny on the magistrate more discretion is needed.
MORE discretion? I wasn’t aware there was any.
Wiehed xieh mort sibt ha purcinell.
Kellek bzonn taf titkellem daqs Vince Farrugia. Imma anqas biss taf timxi.
U tilbes
@ Deo Catania. Int tahseb Daphne qed tigdeb? Ghidilna int x’gara mela. Jew ghid il-Consuelo tghamillha libel jew xi bravu bhalek. Daphne nikkonferoma joen li jekk ikun Laburist onest taqbez ghalih u anke jien hekk naghmel.
Deo, ma tantx jidher li qed tghid wisq paroli fil-vojt din il-mara. Aktar nahseb li qed tghid wisq veritajiet li qabel kullhad kien jitwerwer jitkellem dwarhom! U l-fatti qed juru li kwazi f’kollox ghandha ragun. Daphne keep up the good work. Malta ghandha bzonnok!
In most civilised countries assault and battery is punishable by a couple of years in prison to give the assailant time to cool down and think about his actions.
It will be very interesting to find out what happens in this case or is it perhaps another wheels within wheels scenario?
The Times of Malta (online) 12 Mar 2010 says:
“Police Inspector James Grech told the court that there were eight witnesses to the alleged crime. Investigations showed that Mr Chetcuti had waited for 90 minutes to speak to Mr Farrugia outside his office.
Mr Farrugia then called him into his office and asked other people to leave.
After a short while these people heard shouting and banging in the office and on entering, they saw Mr Farrugia on the floor, face to the ground, with blood coming out of his head. Mr Chetcuti was punching him.”
Now he is presumed innocent until found guilty, but this does not sound very good if proven.
U dan lanqas ghadna biss bdejna – ahseb u ara li tela fil-gvern tlett snin ohra kemm kien isawwat nies.
BOYCOTT THE ELECTION…. meta tivvota tkun qed tarmih fuq il-hmieg – might as well tarmieh fiz-zibel.
[Daphne – Boycott the election, biex jitla hmieg bhal Sandro. Jekk m’ghandiex.]
Jien lill- Daphne min wicca biss nafa imma ghandi rispett kbir lejha ghax onesta u kuragguza hafna. U ta’ dan nghammiraha Alla hares ikolla bzonn xi haga ghax nigri mmur tkun fiex tkun.
Yes this is the same Sandro who, when I was at Junior College (around 7 years ago), used to come with his shining Ferrari and do burnouts in front of Blue Bar to impress 17 year olds. Yes, he is the same one who when he is having lunch at Mamma Mia parks his Ferrari right in front the restaurant just under the “Tow Zone” sign.
You know, it sounds kind of cool to turn up to Court in one of those Ferraris, doing a few burnouts in Piazza Regina…You never know, might attract the attention of some female magistrate…
Issa jista’ jaghmel il-burn-outs fil-bitha ta’ Kordin.
There is no room for such cowboys in our society. We have fought hard in our recent past to achieve dialogue and democracy and cannot give any chance to such cowboys to achieve any relevance or political power. This is not a political issue and I wish to believe that no politician shares such an attitude – in the same way, I expect a singular harsh punishment.
Thought animals like this are kept in cages, or, maybe just in glass houses.
Boxing Day ilha li ghaddiet suppost, le? Il ponnijiet, specjalita ta’ hafna Maltin apparentament. Bil-kliem ma naslu imkien fl-opinjoni taghhom, mela ejja nuru xi nsarrfu!
How sick. Ghalfejn ma sabx xi wiehed kif jidhirli jien, mela lil dan miskin? Coward. Gara x’ gara bejniethom, QATT mhu se jiggustifika vjolenza.
Deo,ruhi, nahseb ghal Consie qed tghid hux? Ghax dik tivvinta u zzejjen kemm ghandha nifs f’gisimha
Daphne, you are doing a fine good exposing these people of who they really are. Ironically, they are also doing a fine job enhancing your credibility as a top notch journalist. They are proving you correct.
By far you are doing a great service to Malta.
times.com reported
“It was only on the intervention of those present outside Mr Farrugia’s office that prevented further serious injury to the person of Mr. Farrugia,” the GRTU council said.
Mela x’kien jghammillu lil dan miskin if nobody was around?
Whatever the reason behind this attack, physical violence is sickening, regardless of politics.
Sandro beda jghajjat li se joqtlu
As someone wrote in the comments underneath The Times article on the subject, we are slowly winding back the clock to the seventies where aggression was the rule. Muscat has a lot to explain here, with his ‘all inclusive’ party. All inclusive my foot. Throw the thugs out, Muscat, as did Sant before you, and you can then get a decent hearing. I wouldn’t worry too much about Chetcuti being in jail tonight. Hopefully he’s not getting 40 winks and a hot three-course meal.
“I prefer giving money to a party in Opposition, because I believe democracy must be strengthened.” – Sandro Chetcuti
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/midweek/2007/09/05/t2.html
great work Daphne, please take care, these people are dangerous
Well said
Wish you a quick recovery Vince. Extremely sorry about what happened. On the other hand the Laburisti Godda u Progressivi are showing their true colours – showing anybody who has the littlest bit of common sense that Labour never never never change and all Maltese of good will have only one way out – VOTE PN.
Thanks Joe for reminding me. I decided that on the 9th of March, 2008.
Then you were a day too late.
Ilhom tant jghajtu fil-meetings u f’dik il-paljazza ta’ gazzetta li ghandhom: Jienhtieg li Nqumu. Sa l-GWU hasbet li ser twaqqa l-g
vern nhar it-Tnejn tal-protesta.
Imma kemm jiflah jaqa ghar-ridikolu Tony Zarb u l-marmalja tieghu. U xi nghidu ghal Michael Parnis? Immarcja n-nies ghax kellu xamma li xi hadd minn tan-Nazzjonalisti kien ser jivvota kontra l-gvern. Il-kolp ta’ stat li ried jaghmel Tony Zarb fallielhu qabel ma beda. U joqghod attent ma jilghabx man-nar ghax jinharaq u mbaghad jista joqghod iwerzaq li hadd mhu ser jaghlaqlu halqu. Jew jilghaba tal-vittma.
and another two from the times.com
C Pace(30 minutes ago)Bil-mod il-mod l-arlogg rega sejjer lura ghall-zmien ikrah li hafna hasbu li kien spicca darba ghall-dejjem. Joseph Muscat ghandu hafna x,jispjega fuq dan il-kaz!! veru moderati u progressivi!!! Mid-dehra star candidates biss ghandna!
Joseph ( Joe) Grima(16 minutes ago)@C Pace; for gooddness’ sake stiop spinning. People reading these columns are not idiots. What has Joseph Muscat to do with any of this? If your son, a relative or an acquaintance of yours punched someone in the street, would you accept if someone wrote here that you have a lot to answer for for someting that was done without your knowledge, against your will, at a time when you were not present and by someone else? Get a life Mr or Ms Pace
One News forgot to mention that Sandro Chetcuti has been arrested. They actually claim that the PN is trying to take advantage from this situation. Are these people for real? How are they going to twist it round when Sandro is arraigned in court?
Maybe they’ll send their pocket-sized cameraman Byon Jo Zammit and the stork-like Charlon Gouder to stalk him all the way down and up Republic Street, eavesdropping on his private conversations.
Most probably they’re worried they might have mistaken the assailant for Michael Cassar.
Dearest Daphne, on the entry entitled “Real estate magnate Sandro Chetcuti throws groovy shapes on Consuelo’s dancefloor”, I had left a comment saying that “The person in the picture is (and always was) a big wannabe and I urge Daphne to investigate and dig deeper because I am sure that we can get to know more”.
This person has been flaunting his various Ferraris, BMWs etc since he was 17 years old and his family is not the type to buy a Ferrari for their 17 year old! He flaunts his perceived wealth whenever he has the occasion to but when he is approached for some donation or other, he is almost never forthcoming…I only pity his poor wife and children…
Old Labour = New P L = Old Labour
Sandro might make a good policeman. Inspector Patrick Spiteri started in the police force and then ventured into property. Maybe Sandro could take the reverse route.
oh you daphnes, how sorry you are! no body was in the room and maybe it was self defence, you never know where you are when vince is around! you like to throw mud for this is in what state your party brought this country to,down in the mud. the smell of defeat is suffocating your brain and desperation abounds.For a brave,new MALTA!
oh Lola Lola, no body was in the room, but there very nearly was one. Thankfully for both men, the one on the ground was rescued in time.
At this stage, one expects truly moderate people of goodwill to express their revulsion at this barbaric act. Now is the time for them to stand up and be counted, to show what one really believes in.
For all his faults, Dr Sant never let things slide this far.
Dr Muscat has actually been given an opportunity to show his mettle here. He can either act swiftly and decisively, or else he can pussyfoot around, equivocating, like the Porter in the Scottish Play. He will get few chances like this in the next three years, where he can influence how history will remember him.
There you go. It takes an Alfred Sant to keep that sort of thing in check.
The price is too high.
Joseph Muscat irid igib il-pajjiz l-aqwa fl-Ewropa! Dan se jaghmlu b’deputati godda bhall Sandro Chetcuti?
Seeing Sandro like this reminds me of Saturday Night Fever.
Is this the same mani who tried to assault an elderly MEPA officer in the reception area, over a Tal-Lira black umbrella which he erroneously claimed was his?
From Malta Right Now:
Sandro Chetcuti se jiġi akkużat b’attentat ta’ qtil
L-SMS kien destinat għal Joseph Muscat
And then the Labour Party tries to distance itself from him.
If Malta were as big as Australia, the Labour Party would try to distance itself from Chetcuti as many kilometers as there are between Perth and Sydney.
Unfortunately, this event and the recent one involving Marisa only lead people like me who are fed up with the bullying (in administration not physical) PN after supporting them all my life, to feel that we really have no one to vote for.
If the MLP keep on using these tactics and getting caught, and have people like Sandro in their ranks – only God knows what these type of people will do if/when they are actually in power.
Please Dr. Muscat clear your party of these sort of characters so we can all vote with peace of mind.
“Please Dr Muscat clear your party…..”? Are you serious? Dr Muscat was allegedly on the other side of that SMS! It’s the whole Labour Party that needs to be cleared.
The Nationalist Party might have a reputation for being ‘arrogant’, but that’s far better than a reputation for using violent means to make yourself understood. Now, where will you cast your vote? An arrogant government or an ignorant one?
Issa jmissu ma jaccettahx kandidat mal-PL lil Sando wara li hareg ghonqu ghalieh u tkecca GHAL DEJJEM mill-GRTU.
The sad part of the story is that this thug has close associations with both PN and PL members. Makes you wonder what kind of a country we re living in!