A former employee at NMArrigo, the company of former chief justice Noel Arrigo testified this morning that Anthony Grech Sant used to visit the company two to three times a month.

Charmaine Depasquale, the first witness to be heard in Dr Arrigo’s trial, said that Dr Arrigo would stay mainly in the boardroom and employees phoned him when people who wanted to speak to him visited.

Mr Grech Sant would sell the company frames and Dr Arrigo’s company would sell him wines, spirits and tobacco.

The former Chief Justice is being charged with bribery and trading in influence in a case that has already seen former Judge Patrick Vella being jailed for two years for accepting €23,000 to reduce the jail term of drug trafficker, Mario Camilleri, also known as L-Imnieħru, from a 16-year-jail term to 12 years. He has pleaded not guilty. The trial started on Wednesday before Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo.

Mr Grech Sant allegedly acted as the middleman. Joseph Zammit, known as is-Sei, was jailed for two years in 2006 when he admitted his involvement in the case.

Ms Depasquale said this morning that she recalled Mr Zammit visiting the office once or twice.

On July 5 - the day of judgement was handed down, she was on leave.

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Secretary Dorianne Sammut said that she worked with the company for seven years.

She confirmed this morning what she had told the police in her statement that employees had been asked to leave the office as Dr Arrigo needed to speak to director Joe Galea in private.

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Employee Victor Cremona said that each time Mr Zammit visited the office he would always ask for Alexander Arrigo.

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This is an ongoing update of the trial. More information will be uploaded throughout the day.