Two hunters jailed for bribing policeman

Two hunters were yesterday jailed for 18 months after admitting they had bribed a policeman, who would tip them off on illegal hunting raids in exchange for measly gifts like supermarket vouchers and a mobile phone.

A third man was also arraigned but he is contesting the charges while the policeman, PC Kenneth Sevasta, is due to be charged on Monday.

Glen Scicluna, 33, from Marsascala and Roderick Stabile, 27, from Żejtun admitted to giving PC Sevasta, from the Administrative Law Enforcement unit, supermarket vouchers, a mobile phone and a couple of meals and even paid part of a Melita cable bill for the information about the whereabouts of the police during raids on hunting in 2008.

In submissions on punishment, defence lawyer Joe Mifsud said Mr Scicluna was not the person who had bribed the officer but the other way round.

In his statement to the police, Mr Scicluna said he had met PC Sevasta at Mr Stabile’s wedding and the officer told him he was ready to inform him when the raids would take place because he was a fellow hunter himself. They exchanged phone numbers and whenever Mr Sevasta was on duty he would tip Mr Scicluna off about impending raids.

Lawyer Michael Falzon, for Mr Stabile, said his client had only taken PC Sevasta out to eat because they were very good friends and that was it.

Magistrate Edwina Grima said it seemed the policeman was the mastermind behind it all.

She insisted this was a very serious crime whereby an officer had been bribed and such a crime was completely unacceptable.

Both appealed the sentence.

Eric Scicluna, 38, from Mtarfa pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against the other two.

Police Superintendent Mario Spiteri yesterday testified the accused had given PC Sevasta a bottle of whiskey and a box of pork.

Defence lawyers Joseph Giglio and Michael Falzon asked the officer to stick to what their client had said in his statement to the police, pointing out that what the officer had just said did not stem from such statement.

The case against Eric Scicluna continues next month.