Appeals Court confirms Noel Arrigo's jail term
An appeals court this afternoon confirmed the jail term of two years and nine months imposed last November on former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo after he was found guilty of having reduced the jail term of a drug trafficker, exerted influence on other judges to follow suit, and revealed the details of a judgement before it was handed down.
The punishment, which includes a perpetual general interdiction, was one-year-and-a-half below the maximum allowed by law at the time the crime was committed.
The appeal was heard before Mr Justice David Scicluna, Mr Justice Joseph Zammit Mckeon and Mr Justice Noel Cuschieri.
Judge Arrigo appeared devasteted after the judgement was handed down. Some 15 members of his family, who were present in the hall, showed no emotion.
The original trial was presided by Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo.
Dr Arrigo had been convicted of reducing the 16-year jail term of Mario Camilleri, also known as L-Imnieħru, on July 5, 2002. He sat 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 never implicated.
After the case was revealed, the punishments attached to bribery and trading in influence were raised significantly but, in both cases, the disgraced judges were sentenced under the laws applying in 2002.
Mr Justice Caruana Demajo had said that he "believes that the bribe was not taken out of malice and greed for money but weakness and false friends that lead him to guilt". Dr Arrigo had planned to give the bribe money to charity, he said.
But the judge questioned whether Dr Arrigo's decision to rid himself of the money came after the case was revealed, although he pointed out that Dr Arrigo's behaviour was in contrast to that of the other bribed judge, who paid for jewellery with the money.
Still, the gravity of the fact that the Criminal Court of Appeal, the highest judicial body in penal laws, effectively came under the control of people involved in criminality was the first thing that needed to be considered, the judge said.
During the appeal hearings, Judge Arrigo's defence argued that timeline of events showed that Dr Arrigo had not been influenced to change the court sentence. On July 4, 2002 Joseph Zammit, known as Is-Sei, met Dr Arrigo in Valletta and mentioned that Mr Camilleri was willing to pay him to change the judgement. However evidence showed that Dr Arrigo told him off. By this date, the 12-year judgement against Mr Camilleri had already been written.
After the judgement was handed down, Mr Grech Sant was approached by Mr Zammit and Mr Camilleri's son who told him to pay Dr Arrigo. Some time later Mr Grech Sant went to Mr Arrigo's offices with an envelope containing money. When he handed it over, Dr Arrigo told him to take the money back and give it to charity. But Dr Arrigo kept the envelope. Tormented by what happened he told a friend priest and they planned to give the cash to charity. But before he could do so, he was arrested and charged.
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Joe Xuereb
May 22nd 2010, 20:28
I do not know Noel Arrigo because I don't have friends in high places. I prefer it that way. So, if I may, just a social observation or two.
I have often said that 'evil-doing' is its own punishment, it degrades one's life. When caught, the miscreant gets just punishment too. It is interesting that Noel Arrigo is suffering from depression and is 'kept' at Mount Carmel. Whether this is genuine depression or a ploy to save him the indignity of prison I cannot tell. What I CAN say is that depression is often the result of sick thinking. Therefore, depression is a form of punishment, self-imposed by the sufferer.
All this of course has a parallel with the abuse within the Church. It's been argued that paedophilia occurs anywhere. As is accepting bribes. But these two instances are not run-of-the-mill. They cause scandal and undermine people's trust in those who 'guide' them.
@ Richard Bonello. You come across all aggressive and then, to top it all, you come out with the banality of the week. Noel Arrigo did not need the money you say. And your point is what, exactly? Modicum of commonsense? Whose? Yours? Arrigo's by any chance?
Karin Becker
Jul 15th 2010, 19:25
Hi,
interesting to hear you say that you don´t know Noel Arrigo and that you prefer it that way...so why are you so keen on commenting on whatever he has done or not?
I feel sorry for you and Malta, she was worth a better destiny than you and your alikes are giving her now.
Karin
Paul Caruana
May 22nd 2010, 19:47
All things considered, he can hardly complain about his lenient sentence, considering the extreme gravity of his crime, and especially if he ends up doing his time at Mount Carmel Hospital, rather than in jail!
Some criminals, it seems, are more equal than others......
Pule' Carmel
May 22nd 2010, 15:43
Our mind is such a complex organ and sometimes it paints portraits of self illusions and excitations that are triggered off through trying to beat all that is well orgainsed.
This week I tried a little trick on my students through giving them knowledge without examining them for it. Some of them asked " How much marks are we going to get for it?"
" YOu will gain the knowledge, " I replied. However they preferred to learn by heart and take in illegal notes with them to the examination. Last year I found a set of notes hidden behind the flashing of a toilet, which were being accessed by a student after asking to go to the toilet during the examination.That illegal activity introduced excitment in his life, while my free knowledgewas worthless to him.Most students want marks and they do not care how they get them, the top on the list being learning by heart, without understanding the subject. But that gains a lot of marks. As long as we gain all that we can exchange for goods, we feel triumphant.Feeling success in our inner selves, seems to be outshined by showing that we are successful externally.
gaffarena joseph
May 21st 2010, 00:38
Sure there was no need for an appeal,and the sentence was very mild if you consider what this judge done,
My, God,seeing a judge helping a drug pusher to have his sentence being lowered, for no valid reason,it is the biggest corruption I, ever heard coming from our law courts.
How can I, have trust in our law courts,who knows?
I, do not care if he is rich,and do not need money, the only thing that I, care is that people occupying such a high respected job in our society ,people that with the bang of a hammer will decide your future,if they will be find corrupted should serve a more severe jail sentence.
Josef Cachia
May 22nd 2010, 00:33
Very mild?, He could have got only about 5 years for what he had done according to the law. He cannot get more than that. Also in an appeal no increase in punishment can be given if the accused appealed. You can't simply give the maximum sentence because you think the maximum sentence is too low. Legally this was a very fair judgment!
Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
May 23rd 2010, 00:19
In Australia, if you appeal you can get a harsher sentence. All laws have to be revisited in Malta. As they say, they are there to help the rich and the powerful. This case is one such shining example.
JOe VELLa
May 20th 2010, 19:06
Sir,
I read mail saying: "Justice Has Been Done".
How easy it is for some, on the outside, and on what it is said, find fault and find guilt only on third party reporting.
I set on a lot of times as a juror, I say to these 'guilty happy', that it almost has never been, even when so close to the case, in fairness to find someone as absolute guilty by all jurors.
My experience taught me that the professional criminals are still walking the streets as they know how to play the game.
Only the ones caught are in jail.
Is there no other way how the community at large can benefit from these people other than lock them up?
Peter Korsten
May 21st 2010, 07:50
"My experience taught me that the professional criminals are still walking the streets as they know how to play the game."
By paying off the judiciary?
Although I personally find it strange that you get a stiffer sentence for drugs smuggling than for murder, I have very little sympathy for corruption, and especially when it comes to those people who are supposed to apply the law.
oliver mallia
May 20th 2010, 18:00
Wihed mil laqwa imhuh ta Malta maqful gewwa, min flok jaghlem b’mod volontarju ftit mill hafna inteligenza li jista jofri lil pajjiz! Perswast li ma kellux bzonn dawn il-flus. He already took his punishment; 7 years court process x 100,000 euros in salary and benefits? = 7000,000euros more or less ?
J. J. Borg
May 20th 2010, 18:18
X'ghandu ahjar minn ohrajn li wehlu sentenza habs? Issa jiskonta is-sentenza bhal haddiehor imbaghad wara jista joffri mohhu kemm irid lill-pajjiz. U fuq kollhox s'issa ghandu ma rifisx l-ghatba tal-habs ghax qieghed Mt Carmel.
John Ebejer
May 21st 2010, 08:19
Ghadek ma fhimt xejn x'hareg minn dan kollu! Il-messagg ....! Il-messagg li taht il-kappa tax-xemx, kulhadd huwa suggett ghall-gustizzja u li ikbar m'int, ikbar hemmek. Hawn min qed jghid fuq li saret gustizzja...... imma wiehed irid jistaqsi kif qieghed jaqta' s-sentenza Noel Arrigo .... zgur li mhux fil-habs!
A. Borg
May 20th 2010, 16:48
L-Imhallef Arrigi zgur ma kellux bzonn dawk il-flus. Ghalija huwa misteru kif accetthom.
S. Calleja
May 20th 2010, 17:42
Mhux li jidher minn barra...
saviour vella
May 20th 2010, 16:15
nahseb illi l-Qorti ghamelet il gustizzja.
Richard Bonello
May 20th 2010, 17:03
Who is this Mr Saviour Vella to claim that justice has finally been done? God is the only true Judge who is fully aware of ALL the facts and anyone with a modicum of common sense can realise that Noel Arrigo was in no great need of fthis kind of money!
M. Aquilina
May 20th 2010, 17:17
Vera li Alla biss jiggudika.......dan fatt sagru!!! Pero il-biza hi li min jinxtara ma jfissirx li ma ghamilx hekk qabel..........Minix nghid ghal Noel Arrigo jien, inhalli f'idejn il-gustizzja tiddeciedi. Jien min jien biex niggudika persuna li qatt ma tkellimt maghha u li qatt ma rajtha?? Pero sincerament inhoss li min jasal jinxtara ikun qieghed il-gid personali tieghu qabel il-gid tas-socjeta'...........
Anthony Borg
May 20th 2010, 17:22
Man's justice is imperfect Mr. Bonello, but the fact remains that a chief justice accepted money, whether he had great need or not! The Court wanted to send a clear message that no one is above the Law. In the respect the honourable judges did their painful duty when faced with one of their own colleagues
J. J. Borg
May 20th 2010, 18:02
Alla biss jista jiggudika sur Bonello? Mela issa nalqu il-qrati u nibghatu il-pulizija id-dar u kullhadd jaghmel li jrid! Ma nghidux hmerijiet! Dawn l-affarijet jghidhom spiss min ghandu x'jahbi.
J Farrugia
May 20th 2010, 18:15
rchard bonello how dare you question what the correspondent wrote. Yes Justice has been done. If you dont agree with it, appeal. He appealed and lost. Yes once more Justice has been done even though the sentencing was too soft. For much lesser crimes than this one jail terms of more than 16 years are the order of the day. So skive off. The man brought disgrace to the whole judicial system together with his partner in crime.
vincent magro
May 20th 2010, 18:44
@ Mr Bonello
Allura issa nibdew naghmlu distinzjoni bejn min ghandu bzonnhom u min m'ghandux?
u l-implikazzjoni tieghek hi li jekk ikollok bzonn il-flus tehel il-habs, u jekk ma tkunx bzonn il-flus jintuza kejl iehor.