Professor Stefano Filletti addressed the Criminal Court today in the ongoing Electrogas proceedings, this time during the hearing of an appeal against a freezing order.
In his submissions, Prof Filletti presented extensive documentation relating to the liquidation of Harbinson Forensics, the expert firm appointed by the inquiring magistrate to conduct forensic analysis in the Electrogas inquiry. He informed the court that the liquidation process was initiated shortly after the magisterial inquiries were concluded and following the submission and settlement of the firm’s final invoices.
Prof Filletti emphasised that Harbinson Forensics was the expert entity formally appointed by the magistrate to carry out the forensic accounting examination underpinning key aspects of the inquiry. He pointed out that the report submitted to the court was issued in the name of the company. Jeremy Harbinson as a director of Harbinson Forensics, has since declined to testify.
Jeremy Harbinson
In this context, Prof Filletti insisted that all reasonable avenues to secure testimony must be exhausted. He therefore requested that the company’s other director — Harbinson’s wife, and also the liquidator of Harbinson Forensics — be summoned to testify in court. According to Prof Filletti, this step was necessary to clarify issues surrounding the expert report and to ensure that the defence is afforded full procedural safeguards.
The request was accepted, with defence collegiality involving Dr Edward Gatt, Dr Stephen Tonna Lowell and Dr Charles Mercieca prevailing as all parties agreed to the request being entered into the court record.
Court commentators following the proceedings expressed dismay at the sequence of events surrounding the expert firm’s liquidation. Particular concern was voiced over the fact that the company nominated by the inquiring magistrate went into liquidation shortly after completing its assignment and receiving payment for its services.
Observers noted that the situation raises serious questions about the lack of availability of the appointed expert for cross-examination and judicial scrutiny at a later stage — a fundamental element of fair trial rights, particularly in complex financial cases.
The developments add another layer of controversy to the Electrogas case, which has already attracted sustained legal and public attention, and follow earlier warnings by Prof Filletti regarding potential breaches of European legal standards.
