Punishment raised in illegal lottery case
An appeal court yesterday added a suspended jail term to a €5,659 fine imposed on a man who ran an illegal lottery office.
Edward Falzon of Ħamrun had been fined by the Magistrates' Court which, last June, found guilty of taking bets and operating a lottery office without authorisation.
The Attorney General appealed, arguing that the court had incorrectly applied the law as Mr Falzon should also have been jailed.
Mr Justice Michael Mallia said the Attorney General had reason to appeal because the law specifically laid down that a jail term had to accompany the fine.
Thus, he modified the sentence, confirming the fine and adding a six-month jail term suspended for two years. Police Inspector Raymond Aquilina prosecuted.
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Alfred Muscat
Mar 10th 2010, 13:28
With pleasure we hear that the Courts upheld the Attorney General's request for a harsher penalty on an illegal gambling outlet....which are spread allover the islands. It is calculated that these outlets generate the same amounts of monies as the authoirised outlets, however with a big difference. These pay no taxes! can the authorities increase their watch and lookout for these outlets and apply the LAW.!