Man found not guilty of general election corrupt practices
A man accused of corrupt practices at the last general election was declared not guilty by a court this morning.
Pierre Bartolo 44 of Swieqi, a director of Papillon Caterers, had been accused of threatening two employees and ordering them to vote Nationalist.
The case was instituted by PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia, who had told the court that after the elections he had received several reports of persons who were paid to vote Nationalist.
Testifying, PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia had said that after the elections he had received several reports of persons who were paid to vote Nationalist.
He said that Anthony Zammit, a Papillon employee, had spoken to him and told him that he had been threatened and told to vote Nationalist. A certain man he knew as Cioffi went with him to the polling station and he was told to take a photo of his ballot paper using his mobile phone.
Dr Farrugia said this was just one of around 100 to 200 cases that he had asked the police to investigate in a report.
The accused, he said, had bought votes for €200 each. Anthony Zammit was fired from work shortly after the election.
During the court hearings it was claimed that two employees, Kristylee Bezzina and Anthony Zammit had been instructed and threatened over how to vote at the general elections by their employer. Three other employees described Anthony Zammit, also known as Is-Sei, as unreliable.
The court said there had been no evidence to prove beyond all reasonable doubt the claims made by Anthony Zammit , particularly because Mr Cioffi in his testimony had denied giving him his wife's mobile phone in order to take a photo of his vote.
The court, presided by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli also found that Mr Bartolo did not influence Ms Bezzina or perform any form of corrupt practice.
The court said it believed that the fact that someone encouraged another person to go to vote or provided a means of transport to go to vote could not be seen as being an illegal influence or corrupt practice, otherwise the electoral offices of the political parties which arranged transport for those who did not have it would also be guilty of illegal influence and corrupt practice.
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Kevin Mercieca
Jul 15th 2010, 12:44
I hope that cases like these will be monitored properly by the concerned authorities - people like these should get punished for their way of imposing rules on other people = for the sake of god we are living in a democratic country not a totalitarian state!
It seems that hundreds of votes were bought in the last electoral election in 2008 - what a disgrace!
S. Vella
Jul 15th 2010, 07:58
It is impossible to buy a vote. Scenarios mentioned by Anglu Farrugia:
a. Money is exchanged to buy a PN vote. The voter pockets the money and then votes MLP in the secrecy of the booth.
b. Money is exchanged to buy a PN vote and the electoral ID is surrendered to the buyer. The voter pockets the money and later signs an affidavit that the ID is lost. New ID is issued and votes MLP.
c. Money is exchanged to buy a PN vote and a mobile photo of the voting document is requested. The voter pockets the money and marks the PN side, takes a photo, cancels it, requests a new voting document from the commissioners and votes MLP.
Much ado about nothing. The only idiot here is the one who allegedly forked out the money.
Gerard Cassar
Jul 14th 2010, 15:39
Beyond reasonable doubts! Another case where facts are not established beyonf reasonable doubts. This will certainly not be quoted when criticising Dr. A Farrugia by the P.N.
E.SciclunaCamilleri
Jul 14th 2010, 01:38
Ma rrizenjax EFA minn prim ministru meta nstab hati mill-qorti b' diskriminazzjoni, ghandu jirrizenja Anglu Farrugia ghax lil-qorti ma kkonvincihiex "beyond all reasonable doubt "? id-dubbju hemm ghadu.
Victor Laiviera
Jul 13th 2010, 20:13
"The court said there had been no evidence to prove BEYOND ALL REASONABLE DOUBT the claims made by Anthony Zammit ....
A far cry from saying that the claims were unfounded.
This is similiar to the case where the Auditor General said that he fouind "no HARD evidence of corruption" in the Dellimara contract.
Again a far cry from saying there had been no corruption.
Stephen Farrugia
Jul 13th 2010, 18:16
Anglu Farrugia should have the decency to resign from PL deputy leader. I am a Labour voter and see the Labour Party as unelectable as long as people such as Anglu Farrugia are on the front line. Today's court decision shows that Anglu Farrugia only raised the votes issue because he was running for deputy leader and wanted to get political mileage over contenders such as Gavin Gulia. He made up the whole issue, managed to impress the delegates and got elected. The only way for him now is to resign.
Guido Demarco was wise enough not to make him police commissioner when he asked for the job after 1987, the Labour delegates in 2008 were less wise, but there is still time to fix things and one solution is get Anglu Farruia out of Labour's way. Of course the PN will be only too happy if he is kept like an albatross around Labour's neck.
Carmel Xuereb
Jul 13th 2010, 17:42
@R. Caruana.
It-trakk kien qed isuqu wiehed Malti u ma kellu l-ebda riklam ta' xi ditta fuqu kif normalment ikun hekk fuq dawk li jiddeliverjaw il-WHITE GOODS. U nahseb li l-fridge hadmet ghax dawn l-0individwi kien ilhom jghidu li mhux ser imorru jivvotaw zmien twil ghax wiehed ried promotion u l-iehor ried joqghod id-dar ma jmurx ghax xoghol (mal-Gvern) u jircievi ic-cekk id-dar. Dawn l-ghada s-Sibt marru kmieni jivvutaw taf. U dak li jahdem mal-Gvern Alla jbierek gietu tajba wkoll ghax qatt ma jmur ghax-xoghol kemm imur jiffirma fil-ghodu u fil-ghaxija u l-kumplament hadd ma jarah fuq il-lant tax-xoghol.
Mario Caruana
Jul 13th 2010, 15:47
Infaqat buzzieqa ohra f'wicc il-Labour
Joe Camilleri
Jul 13th 2010, 15:29
@ mario scerri's "Pero trid tqis li jezistu nies vulnerabbli li jispiccaw vittma ta dan it-tip ta theddid." Trid tqis UKOLL li jezistu nies vulnerabbli, bhad delagati tal MLP/PL li bil-pubblicita li ha Dr Farrugia b dawn l akkuzi, ivvutawlu biex jinhatar Deputy Leader "tal-Partit taghna, hi!"
mario scerri
Jul 13th 2010, 14:55
Naqbel mieghek ernest ghax jien kieku xi hadd jheddini ma mmerih xejn imma fl-ahhar mill-ahhar nivvota lil min rrid jin mhux kif jidettawli.
Pero trid tqis li jezistu nies vulnerabbli li jispiccaw vittma ta dan it-tip ta theddid.
Joe Micallefahar ic-
Jul 13th 2010, 14:54
If today we are "pajjiz tal mikey mouse" when after 2013 we will have Anglu Farrugia as deputy prime minister what will we be!!
Agghhhrrrrrrrr I'd better cross that bridge when we come to as, I do not long for three years of horrendous nightmares!!!!!
Mike Micallef
Jul 13th 2010, 14:38
So....., a former Inspector of Police, now a lawyer, who knows well the onus of proof, comes out with these wild allegations which the court throws out. It s importnat to remember that these accusations were bandied about when the former inspector was running for the post of no 2 at the Labour Party. the court was not impressed............. alas the party delegates were!
Carmel Xuereb
Jul 13th 2010, 14:17
Veru li tkun wahdek fil-kamra tal-vot u tivvota kif trid int u mhux bil-fors kif iridek haddiehor imma nahseb li veru wkoll illi jkun hawn minn igennen lil dak li jkun (forsi jheddu wkoll) biex jivvota ghal dak il-partit u mhux ghall-iehor. Theddid mhux biss bil-fomm anke b'delivery ta' WHITE GOODS lejliet l-elezzjoni, naf ghax hdejja waqaf trakk mghobbi bil-WHITE GOODS u ta zewg fridges lil girien u meta jiena staqsejtu jekk ghandux xi wahda ghalija qalli "lili ghand dawk baghtuni. is-sabiha hi li l-fridgs ma kienux ta' l-istess ditta!!!!!!!
R. Caruana
Jul 13th 2010, 14:40
Ghidli min hu dal-beccun li jghati l-fidges lejlet l-elezzjoni! Darb'ohra nghidlu li nivvutalu, u mbaghad fil-vot naghmel li rrid ghax hadd ma jkun hdejja.
Jennifer Depares
Jul 13th 2010, 14:12
Dr Anglu Farrugia is in line to be the Deputy Prime Minister of Malta after 2013.
Lie down and weep.
Jesmond Abela
Jul 13th 2010, 13:55
Dr A Farrugia politiku progressiv u moderat ! waka waka
R. Caruana
Jul 13th 2010, 13:33
Maybe it's time to call Dr. Farrugia's resignation on such a farce? Of course we know he won't, though he's ever so ready to call on others to resign.
E Gatt
Jul 13th 2010, 12:59
Another MLP conspiracy theory bites the dust.
N.Calleja
Jul 13th 2010, 12:53
Another of Dr.Farrugia's fairy tales burst in his face! Isn't he ashamed to invent these titbits in Malta and abroad?
Ernest Vella
Jul 13th 2010, 12:33
Mhedded...din tad-dahk...fil-Kamra tal-Vot wahdek tkun bhal f'certu kmamar ohra. Facilment tista tghid iwa, hekk naghmel imbaghad nivvotta kif irrid u kif joghgobni. Korruzzjoni kieku jinxtraw il-voti biex ma jivvutawx...anke jekk mitlub tiehu ritratt bil-mobile ta x'ivutajt tista tidhak bih ghax thassar il-vot u titlob iehor.
Is-sistema maltija hija sistema demokratika u sigura...ovjament sa certu punt imma kif isir difficli jkun hemm tbabis. Dan il-panic kollu mbaghad...jiena meta mmur nivvota...mohhni mistrieh...hadd ma jaf x'ivvutajt ghax xturi nzommu fil-mohbi u mhux inpercu mal-4 t'irjieh tad-dinja