John Dalli’s daughters’ case: court appoints psychiatrist to evaluate co-accused

A court has appointed a psychiatrist to evaluate whether one of the women accused, together with John Dalli’s daughters, of running a Ponzi scheme which fleeced evangelical Christians out of their savings, is fit to stand trial, after having suffered a stroke.

The move is somewhat unusual, in that a court would normally do so on the request of one of the parties, but it chose to do so despite no such request being made.

It happened as the case against Louise Dalli, Claire Gauci Borda, Charles Ray Jackson, Robert Mitchell McIvor, Eloise Marie Corbin Klein and Elizabeth Jackson continued before magistrate Aaron Bugeja yesterday.

The latter two accused did not attend due to health reasons. Dalli and Gauci Borda appeared in court for the sitting yesterday.

The police had filed money laundering, misappropriation and fraud charges against Louise Dalli, her sister Claire Gauci Borda, as well as against Eloise Marie Corbin Klein, Charles Ray Jackson, Elizabeth Jean Jackson and Robert Mitchell McIvor last November. Gauci Borda alone is charged with breaching the Money Laundering And Financing Of Terrorism Act and with failing to properly carry out her professional duties as an accountant and auditor.

All six were charged with money laundering, misappropriation of funds, fraud, making a false declaration to a public authority and the falsification and use of falsified documents.

The Ponzi scheme, first reported by assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia back in 2015, was allegedly run by Eloise Marie Corbin Klein, operating under a number of aliases. Daphne Caruana Galizia had reported her as having conned elderly Christians out of some $600,000 by posing as a missionary and convincing them to invest their savings into a bank account that ostensibly was to be used for an African mining project.

But instead, the money was funneled into two Maltese companies - Tyre Ltd and Corporate Group - owned by Louise Dalli and Claire Gauci Borda and which are registered at John Dalli’s home address in Portomaso.

During the sitting yesterday morning, Dr Mario Scerri, the doctor appointed by the court to assess whether Corbin Klein and Jackson had any medical impediment to appearing in court, testified that Corbin Klein had mobility issues but could, in principle, attend court sittings if specialized transport is provided. The other accused had suffered a stroke and had difficulty in communicating, he said. Dr. Scerri recommended that a psychiatrist be appointed to evaluate her mental state.

Defence counsel did not request the appointment of a psychiatrist, however the court ordered that a psychiatrist be appointed to evaluate the state of the accused and whether she is in a position to stand for trial. The case was adjourned. Inspector Yvonne Farrugia prosecuted. Dr Stefano Filletti and Dr Stephen Tonna Lowell appeared for the Dalli sisters, Dr Arthur Azzopardi appeared for Klein, the Jacksons and McIvor.