Businessman wanted no part in the matter, court hears

A man who has just served a two-year jail term for bribing two former judges yesterday took the witness stand in the case against his former three co-accused and said that one of them did not want to get involved in the matter.

Joseph Zammit, known as Is-Sei, told Magistrate Audrey Demcoli that businessman Anthony Grech Sant was not aware that he (Mr Zammit) had approached the two judges - former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo and former Judge Patrick Vella - to bribe them. He added that Mr Grech Sant had said he did not want to get involved in such matters.

Mr Zammit was testifying in the compilation of evidence against convicted drug trafficker Mario Camilleri, his son Pierre Camilleri, and Mr Grech Sant.

They are pleading not guilty to complicity in the bribery of the two former judges who allegedly reduced Mario Camilleri's jail term when they presided over his appeal in 2002.

Mr Zammit had originally been charged together with the three men but, following a separation of proceedings, in February last year he was jailed for two years after he filed a guilty plea.

(The two former judges were charged with accepting bribes and with revealing official secrets in connection with a judgment handed down by the Court of Criminal Appeal against Mario Camilleri.

On March 13, Dr Vella was jailed for two years after he admitted to the charges in a trial. The trial of Dr Arrigo is still pending as it was postponed after he filed an application requesting the trial to be postponed on the grounds that both the defence and the prosecution wanted to summon Mr Grech Sant to testify in the trial.)

Mr Zammit told the magistrate he completed his jail term this month. He explained that some time before the appeal judgment in Mario Camilleri's case was to be handed down, Pierre Camilleri approached him and asked him to help him reduce his father's jail term.

Mr Zammit said he told Mr Grech Sant he wanted to speak to Dr Arrigo and asked him (Mr Grech Sant) to contact the judge on his behalf. Some time later Mr Grech Sant got back to him and said that Dr Arrigo was going abroad.

About two to three months later, Mr Zammit said, he personally approached Dr Arrigo to speak to him about reducing Mario Camilleri's jail term.

He said he never told Mr Grech Sant why he had wanted to speak to Dr Arrigo and neither did Mr Grech Sant know that he had personally approached the judge.

Mr Zammit went on to explain that he had spoken to Dr Arrigo and Dr Vella. He met them on separate occasions and asked them to help out his friend who was given an excessive jail term. Eventually both judges accepted, he said, adding that he had told both judges they would be paid Lm10,000. Dr Arrigo said he was not interested in the money, the witness said.

Mr Zammit further explained to the court that Mario Camilleri's appeal was to be decided by Judges Vella, Arrigo and Mr Justice Joseph Filletti.

Although initially the plan was to approach all three judges, Mr Justice Filletti was not approached.

He said that shortly after the appeal judgment was handed down, Dr Vella phoned him and asked for the money. He met him and handed him Lm5,000. The amount had changed from Lm10,000 to Lm5,000.

Later that same day, Mr Zammit and Pierre Camilleri went to meet Dr Arrigo in Strait Street, Valletta, in order to give him the money but the encounter did not take place. Mr Zammit said he then spoke to Mr Grech Sant who insisted he did not want to get involved in the matter.

He later met Dr Arrigo, outside an alcohol shop he owned in Valletta, and handed him Lm5,000.

Mr Zammit's testimony was then suspended and put off to July 18 when he is expected to be asked to testify about telephone conversation recordings.

Police Superintendent Pierre Calleja prosecuted.

Lawyers Joseph Brincat and Franco Debono represented the accused.