Cachia Caruana denies putting pressure for removal of security services head

Ambassador Richard Cachia Caruana reiterated in Court today that he never put any pressure, directly or indirectly, for the head of the Security Services to be removed. He was testifying in court in a libel case against Labour MP Joe Mizzi. Mr Cachia Caruana had filed an application asking the police to institute criminal libel proceedings against Mr Mizzi and One TV on the basis of comments made against him claiming the allegations made were unfounded, invented and aimed at harming his reputation. Among other allegations, Mr Mizzi had claimed that Mr Cachia Caruana had tried to exert pressure on him when he was minister, via a high-ranking member of the 1996-1998 Labour administration, to replace the head of the Security Services for personal reasons. Mr Cachia Caruana told the court that Mr Mizzi was talking about a time he was not involved in the government. Mr Mizzi, he said, had made allegations about a yacht and a cocaine party and implicated him on putting pressure on the police. "He is alleging that I carried out a crime," Mr Cachia Caruana told the court.