Andrew Robert Coles is a forensic expert, “appointed” by the Courts on the Hospitals Inquiry. Coles yesterday gave evidence via video link in a court case involving Dr Joseph Muscat, Dr Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri amongst others, challenging court imposed-freezing orders.

The following is a run down of what happened in Judge Edwina Grima’s courtroom.

• Andrew Robert Coles, was subcontracted by Jeremy Harbinson for the investigation into the hospitals concession.
• Coles testified via video conference, with technical difficulties causing delays and interruptions during his testimony.
• Andrew Robert Coles testified that the Harbinson Forensics Report was based solely on the opinions of Jeremy Harbinson, as declared in the report by Harbinson himself.
• Coles testified that he did not recall taking any Oath to his appointment regarding his involvement in the report for the magisterial inquiry.
• Coles worked as a court expert on the Hospitals inquiry from October 2022. However, the process verbal of Magistrate Gabriella Vella stated that he was sworn in 2021. Cole denies this statement made by Gabriella Vella.
• He assisted in a search of Joseph Muscat’s home on January 19, 2022, but was not formally working on the VGH inquiry at that time.
• He denied receiving any direction from the Malta Police. He only received instructions from disgraced court experts Jeremy Harbinson and Dr Sam Sittlington, who was fired by the British Government.
• Coles clarified that he did not play a role in determining the freezing orders and the amounts listed for all defendants.
• Coles confirmed that he did not work on any calculations that could justify the €30 million freezing orders.
• Lawyers reminded the Court that Harbinson had previously stated that the report was not intended to serve as a basis for legal actions such as freezing orders or criminal charges.

Harbinson has meanwhile distanced himself from the freezing orders and the charges, asserting that the experts were not asked to support these legal actions. Harbinson admitted that the report should never have been disclosed by the Magistrate or used by the prosecution in the way it was.

Legal insiders are expressing their amazement at the extent that Inquiring Magistrates have allowed these inquiries involving Harbinson’s team and Miroslava Milenovic to go off the rails.