Xhieda ta’ Rose Vella – 10 ta’ Diċembru 2019
l-Atti tal-Inkjesta datata 19 ta' Novembru 2019, rigward skont it- Termini ta’ Referenza ta’ l-Inkjesta Pubblika dwar l-Assassinju ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Seduta miżmuma llum it-Tlieta 10 ta’ Diċembru, 2019.
Rose Vella, bint il-mejjet John Mamo u Jane nee’ Demarco, imwielda Tas- Sliema u residenti Tas-Sliema bil-gurament tghid:
Rose Vella: I would like to focus my statement on how concerned I was regarding Daphne’s safety. In the previous legislature, then PL MP Luciano Busuttil had asked if there was anyone in the Bidnija area under police protection. The answer was no. When I spoke to Daphne about this, she answered “That’s to make it known that I had no protection.” When once I was hospitalised at Mater Dei, Daphne visited me late in the evening. On trying to leave the car park, her car was purposely blocked by another car with driver and passenger inside for several minutes, – eventually forcing her to drive around that car. The driver of that car then proceeded straight away to lodge a false report with the police, saying that Daphne had attacked him and his pregnant wife.
There was also a constant stream of abuse and fabrications on certain websites. This we understood was intended to stop Daphne from writing. On one occasion we were having supper at a restaurant together with Daphne. Early next morning a report appeared on the website TYOM saying that Daphne was there with her parents and mockingly describing her in what she was wearing.
On another occasion, she was working on her laptop at a café in Naxxar while sitting near a window. Some passer-by
photographed her and posted her photo on Beddingfield’s website blog. The next time she returned to same café, she was told by the owners that after this happened, their premises were searched and turned upside down. She said “qalbulhom kollox” as a form of harassment. The constant worry and tension was a cause of health problems to me, leading to frequent stays in hospital. When I suffered a stroke, and had recovered, the examining doctor told me “I am sure that this is related to worrying about Daphne” and I had never mentioned Daphne at all to him thinking he did not know of our relationship.
In early August 2017, a warden – or what looked like one – turned up at our house asking if Daphne lived at our address. When I replied negatively he said “But you are her mother. I was told that she lives here”. When I asked him what was the reason he came, he said vaguely “about income tax” and walked away. I was suspicious about this and asked her father to WhatsApp Daphne about it as maybe her phone would be tapped. A few days later, we were guests of Daphne and Peter at the Phoenicia Hotel together with the family. That was the first time that I was able to talk to her about that incident. Her reaction was “What in earth was that for? I have not lived at your house for well over thirty years and besides I have been receiving my mail at Bidnija for all these years.” Resulting from recent evidence I now know that at that time, Daphne’s movements were being closely monitored by the persons contracted to kill her, including the time we were at the Phoenicia.
As Daphne’s house is in an isolated area and she had no protection there, I was afraid – always worried and afraid whenever she visited us alone and leaving late. I would worry that she could be accosted and physically assaulted when she arrived near her home.
On the 14th October 2017, Daphne visited us. On entering she told me “I will come again with your birthday present
on Monday or Tuesday, as I came rushing here from somewhere else and I left the present at home.” As the evening wore on, she appeared to be unusually thoughtful and apprehensive. When her younger sister Helen turned up later, she cheered up and they were chatting and joking. When they eventually left together it was quite late. I was so worried that I remarked to her father that I was scared that Daphne would be subjected to a violent attack. That was the last time that I was to see her as some forty hours later she was brutally assassinated by a car bomb near her own home. Had Daphne’s reports on corruption being heated and immediately acted upon Daphne would still be alive today.
Imh. A. Lofaro: Grazzi sinjura grazzi. Imh. M. Mallia: Thank you very much.