Arrigo loses appeal

An unemotional Noel Arrigo, a former Chief Justice, yesterday had his two years and nine months jail term confirmed by a panel of three judges.

In a court room where the "public" consisted only of journalists and Dr Arrigo's family members, Mr Justice David Scicluna, Mr Justice Noel Cuschieri and Mr Justice Joseph Zammit Mckeon read out the judgment with the rumble of thunder in the background.

Dr Arrigo was jailed by Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo last November for having reduced the jail term of drug trafficker Mario Camilleri, also known as L-Imnieħru, after receiving a bribe of about €11,650, exerting influence on other judges and revealing the details of a judgment before it was handed down in July 2002.

Dr Arrigo is being held at Mount Carmel Hospital due to depression and other health problems.

A second former judge, Patrick Vella, had admitted to similar charges and was jailed for two years in March 2007.

One by one, every point raised by Dr Arrigo in the appeal was shot down by the judges, including the last grievance about the punishment being excessive. They said the jail term was within the parameters of the law and should not be changed.

But the judges especially honed in on the moment that Dr Arrigo was approached by his school friend, Anthony Grech Sant, who acted as a mediator between the judge and Mr Camilleri.

Dr Arrigo had given two different versions of his reaction to Mr Grech Sant's proposition to reduce Mr Camilleri's jail term for money.

In the first version, Dr Arrigo said he told Mr Grech Sant he did not do such things and then softened the statement by adding that he would see what he could do. However, he then changed the version and said that he only told his friend: "Now we'll see", without the initial disclaimer that he did not do such things.

The judges said that whichever version once chose to believe, Dr Arrigo was ready to help his friend in both instances. "A judge should never accept to speak about a case which is before him and, especially, offer help", they said.

Another point the judges raised was about Dr Arrigo's claim that he was stunned when Mr Grech Sant placed an envelope with money on his desk and did not react because he was "flabbergasted".

They pointed out that Mr Grech Sant's version of events contradicted this account because he had said he had placed the money on the desk as soon as he entered the judge's desk. A conversation followed, which meant that Dr Arrigo's claim that he was shocked did not hold up, the judges pointed out.

Moreover, Dr Arrigo's claim that he was filled with remorse did not affect his guilt or alter the fact that he kept the money, they insisted.

Dr Arrigo is not expected to seek any further legal remedies and it is thought that he will remain at the Mount Carmel Hospital.