Mr Justice Patrick Vella is expected to "present a letter" to President Guido de Marco this afternoon, three days after Dr Noel Arrigo resigned as chief justice.

Both Mr Justice Vella and Dr Arrigo have been formally charged with accepting bribes and revealing official secrets in relation to a sentence handed down by the Court of Criminal Appeal against Mario Camilleri on July 5.

They pleaded not guilty.

Dr Toni Abela, who, together with three other lawyers, is representing Mr Justice Vella, would not say whether the judge would be submitting his resignation.

Mr Justice Vella is to see the President at Verdala Palace.

"You will know the letter's contents after the meeting at Verdala," Dr Abela said.

He said the lawyers would make an application this morning to get authorisation from the court to allow Mr Justice Vella to leave his home, where he is under house arrest.

Dr Abela would not give further comments.

When submitting his resignation on Friday, Dr Arrigo apologised to the public for the damage he had caused.

If Mr Justice Vella resigns, the impeachment proceedings against him will be automatically dropped, as happened in the case of the former Chief Justice.

Meanwhile, police sources said a number of persons were expected to be charged in court this week in connection with the bribery allegations.

Sources also said Mr Camilleri was among the persons questioned by the police at length over the weekend.