Third suspended sentence for former MP

@ Maria Dolores Fenech: well said and stated.

Why does The Times write such crap instilling or insinuating connections of certain persons to the MLP. Yes he was a former Labour MP, but please you can say also that he was kicked out of the party long time ago. And above all he was a PN member too, why didn't you mention that too?

So I hope there is no one trying to paint this case (which is of no political connection) red and try to spin some insinuations!!

Ms Maria Dolores Fenech should note that Sandro Schembri Adami WAS NEVER an Nationalist MP! He was not allowed to contest - hence his cross-over and acceptance by the MLP! Secondly, the three suspended sentences were all on cases committed BEFORE the first sentence was given.

The article should have started:
Notary and former Labour and Nationalist Member.............
Why this special treatment with 'Honorables"?

If I had done what he did they would not concider my medical condition or any other circumstance. I could even have gone on television and cried like a baby saying I did not do the deed however as one of the peasants I would be eating porriage at this moment and being stressed out every time I go for a shower.

Why all the stress that he was a labour MP. If i remember well he was also part of the PN also.
And what politics has to do with this matter......he was actinf as part of his job.
Why do we have to mingle politics in everything in Malta.

Give us a break dear reporters!!!!

for a suspended sentence to kick in, the offence must be committed AFTER the sentencing. In this case the three offences were committed BEFORE the judicial proceedings took place. So there was no need for the judge to give a jail term

Has there ever been any politician in Malta sentenced to prison? Could this sentence be appealed to a EU court? Can a citizen such as me, call the EU justice department to investigate such a sentence? In the US we can, we can call the Feds and ask to investigate. Could I go to jail for bringing up such an issue?
MALTA SHAME SHAME SHAME ON YOU.

@ Bill Millam: Correct, of course, and if memory serves me right even the types of felonies vary in the states where the rule is adopted.

Sergio Galea Vincenti,
Your comment that "In cases like certain states in the US, there is the 'Three Strike Rule' whereby a person is found to be guilty for three felonies is automatically sent to life imprisonment." is not quite accurate. In each US state where the "3 strikes and you're out" sentencing law is observed, not all felonies are strikeable offences.

Bill Millam
Los Angeles

Without commenting on the particular cases involving Dr. Schembri Adami - and here I would like to draw everyone's attention to what Magistrate Scerri Herrera is reported to have said when handing down the judgement - I find reason to raise two matters for everyone's consideration:

a. In certain jurisdictions (and even in Malta), suspended sentences are revoked if the guilty party has been found to relapse during the operative period of the sentence. In cases like certain states in the US, there is the 'Three Strike Rule' whereby a person is found to be guilty for three felonies is automatically sent to life imprisonment. I wonder, really, what sort of guidelines are in use and applied here in Malta.

b. Again without entering into the merits of this, I wonder what it takes for the various professional bodies charged by law to issue / administer warrants to suspend or withdraw warrants for professionals. I think in general there needs to be a frank discussion so that across the board, the deserved high esteem of the various professional classes in Malta is protected against the possible acts of a few of their members.

Just some food for throught.

The following cases had the same outcome (a few years jail suspended for a few years):

This one
The one before
The one before that, these first three pertaining to the same person, namely SSA.
Earlier this week a drug grower was given a suspended sentence
and about 4-5 years ago, if I remember correctly, a child abuser, abusing of young girls was also given a suspended sentence.

Yesterday, one young man was sentenced 3 years jail for handling a sum of money amounting to about E300.

Where's the catch?

E. Mifsud, was JPO found guilty? S. Schembri Adami was found guilty 3 times. Are you sure you'd like to discuss scandals seeing you seem to be red. I won't even bother going back in time since I would not even know where to start from.

A suspended sentence MAY be given in the first instance. Subsequent similar consecutive charges, however, must neccessarily attract a jail term. Handing out three suspended sentences IN A ROW is a very sick joke. Had it occured to any other Tom, Dick or Harry, the accused would have summarily received a jail term.

Having already lost all faith in our Law Courts due to recent circumstances, I feel that the above sentence makes a mockery and a farce of some members of Malta's judiciary. I completely agree with Bill Millam who states that the fact that funds were restituted, the victims satisfied and the accused's medical condition should have ABSOLUTELY no bearing on the judgement passed or the sentence given.

The statue depicting a blindfold Lady Justice holding level scales should be altered in our regard to one where Lady Justice is depicted as peeping from behind her cover to see WHO the accused being judged is.

What a laugh.....I can not believe how the Maltese justice system works......
Are our jails so full that the judges keep on handing down "Suspended Sentences" most of the times ?
Once....twice....three times and you are OUT.

About getting away with murder, think about JPO. After the scandal he is stuck in, our Government sends him to head a delegation at a conference on environmental issue. Shall I laugh or should I pack my belongings and dedicate my efforts to a more deserving society than our?

Some people get away with murder! Who said the system works? It might for some friends who have friends of friends to help them out (a phrase his leader loved using). If it was me, would the decisions be the same?
Our justice system is run by gangsters. How do they expect us to have faith in our law courts. You people are a disgrace to our country. Shame on you!!! Who did he bribe?

Third suspended sentence!!!!!!!! Is this a joke?

So what does it take to put man behind bars these days?

Is there a limit to the number of concurrent suspended sentences that such people can be given by our law courts? There are other cases pending and I hope that justice will not only be done, but be seen to be done.
J. Cassar

How bad does a person have to be to be to be incarcerated in this country?

After his first suspended court sentence, the crimes following should have put this person in prison, period! Victim restitution and the accused medical condition should have absolutely NO bearing on the sentence/judgement at all.
Los Angeles