Former minister's aide cleared again

A former aide to the justice minister charged with dealing in foreign currency has again been acquitted of the charges, this time on appeal.

André Carbonaro's acquittal was confirmed by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono who dismissed the appeal filed by the attorney general on the basis that the AG had no grounds for appeal under the Criminal Code.

Carbonaro, 27, of Valletta, had been charged with three breaches of the Exchange Control Act in March, 2001.

The Attorney General filed an appeal but the defence pleaded that the AG had no right of appeal in this case.

The argument was upheld by Mr Justice Galea Debono in a preliminary judgment in which he went into the four points raised by the AG and dismissed each of them.

Mr Justice Galea Debono ruled that Carbonaro had been acquitted after an in-depth appreciation of the evidence and not on the basis of any legal application and, as such, the AG did not have right of appeal in this case.

Senior counsel to the republic Dr Mark Said prosecuted.

Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr Ian Farrugia appeared for Carbonaro.