Arrigo files appeal

Disgraced former chief justice Noel Arrigo has filed an appeal against his two-year nine month jail term but the grounds for his appeal remain a mystery.

Dr Arrigo filed the appeal on Wednesday but attempts to get hold of the actual application, which would detail the legal reasoning against his sentence, proved futile.

The court criminal registry would not release the document on grounds that it "is against the law". Dr Arrigo could be entitled to ask for release from Mount Carmel Hospital, where he is currently serving his sentence, but has so far not filed a request.

The former chief justice was jailed on November 26 and given a perpetual general interdiction after a two-week trial by bench for reducing the jail term of a drug trafficker against a bribe of some €11,650, exerting influence on other judges to follow suit and revealing the details of a judgment before it was handed down.

However, he was transferred to the psychiatric facility of Mount Carmel, to be treated for depression, shortly after he arrived in prison.

Dr Arrigo had reduced the 16-year jail term of Mario Camilleri, also known as L-Imnieħru, on July 5, 2002, sitting on the Criminal Court of Appeal together with another two judges, Patrick Vella and Joseph Filletti. Dr Vella had also been bribed and admitted to accepting €23,000 for reducing the term. Mr Justice Filletti was not implicated.

When contacted for a copy of the appeal application, defence lawyer Joseph Giglio said he was bound by professional secrecy, while the criminal registry office said that according to law only the parties involved had access to the acts of the proceedings.