Judge set to defy Justice Commission

Judge Lino Farrugia Sacco is to seek another term at the helm of the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC), in blatant breach of the code of ethics for the judiciary.

When contacted, Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco confirmed that he will be standing for election to the executive committee tomorrow and will be uncontested for the top post.

"I am not bothered to give my side of the story," he said.

However, replying to an e-mail later yesterday, he said what he was doing was simply exercising his constitutional right.

"Nowhere in a democratic world do these restrictions exist," he said.

Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco added that he had a long list of judges and magistrates who were in sport and social committees in Malta but no one had raised any objections, including about himself, who had been in the MOC for 21 years and previously on the Tennis Federation.

The judge last year received a letter from the Commission for the Administration of Justice informing him that, as long as he retained his post, he was in breach of the code of ethics for the judiciary. Magistrate Antonio Mizzi, the president of the Malta Basketball Association, received a similar letter.

The code states that members of the judiciary "cannot hold any position, even if temporary, voluntary or honorary, and neither can they carry out any activity which, in the view of the Commission for the Administration of Justice, may compromise their position, duties or functions".

According to guidelines issued by the Commission, members of the judiciary cannot hold any position in an organisation which, directly or indirectly, requires fund-raising through sponsorships or in an organisation that receives funds from the government. Despite the letter, the two held on to their respective seats, saying they had no intention of resigning. They received the backing of both local and international sports organisations.

Since then, the Commission does not appear to have taken further action. Questions sent to President Eddie Fenech Adami, who chairs the Justice Commission, were referred to the Commission's secretary for a reply to be sent after the body's next meeting.

Contacted yesterday, Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici stayed out of the issue, saying "these matters fall under the competence of the Commission for the Administration of Justice, which is an independent body".