A magistrate yesterday turned down two pleas in which Norman Lowell claimed that documents exhibited by the prosecution as evidence against him in two cases in which he is accused of inciting racial hatred, were null and therefore inadmissible.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti ruled that the documents were admissible as evidence but this did not necessarily imply that they were incriminating. That would be decided at a later stage.

The magistrate gave the rulings in the two cases against Mr Lowell, leader of the far-right movement Imperium Europa, which are running parallel.

In one case Mr Lowell is pleading not guilty to inciting racial hatred through an article posted on the website Maltafly.com in October 2002.

The second case revolves around a public meeting held on January 22, 2005, soon after the violent incidents at Safi barracks between the army and illegal immigrants.

The case was put off to May 4 when Mr Lowell is expected to take the stand in his defence.

Lawyer Emmy Bezzina appeared for Mr Lowell.

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