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Former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo had admitted with the police he had made a mistake, according to the tapes of the police statements which are being played in court.

Dr Arrigo is pleading not guilty to bribery.

He was heard saying on tape that there were times when people offered him gifts but he always refused them.

He said that before the judgment was handed down someone had asked him what was happening and he told him he admitted he made a mistake.

Dr Arrigo said he had been approached by Mr Grech Sant. The first time he approached him he had not even been appointed chief justice. Grech Sant had then been very vague and he (Dr Arrigo) had told him he did not discuss such matters.

He then approached him closer to the time when the judgment, which had already been written and discussed, was due.

When the judgment was given, Mr Grech Sant told him he had a gift for him and he said he told him that he did not do these things.

Dr Arrigo was heard saying on tape that he had never been approached by Joseph Zammit, known as s-sei.

The former Chief Justice said that when speaking to Mr Grech Sant he wanted to give the impression that he was accommodating him. But had he not been convinced of what he was doing, he would not have done that. He believed that the judgment he had given was right.

Police Commissioner John Rizzo then told Dr Arrigo that he had given information about the judgement rather than reporting the men to the police.

Dr Arrigo insisted he had done so because he was convinced that what he was doing was not incorrect and the sentence was reduced because all three judges felt it was excessive.

44 pages out of the 278-page statement have been heard so far.

See also:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091111/local/trial-of-former-chief-justice-police-commissioner-testifies

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091111/local/trial-of-former-chief-justice-prosecutor-stresses-seriousness-pof-case