Three handed suspended jail terms for bus strike violence
Three men have been condemned to suspended jail terms after admitting their involvement in incidents outside the Auberge de Castille during the bus drivers' strike in July 2008.
Paul Vella, 48 of Gharghur, Jason Vella, 35 of Hamrun and Johann Spiteri, 28 of Birkirkara, were accused of having formed part of a group with intent to commit a crime and with having disobeyed police orders.
Johann Spiteri was also accused of slightly injuring a policeman.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charges.
Paul and Jason Vella were condemned to 18 months imprisonment suspended for three years and fined €400 each.
Johann Spiteri was condemned to 20 months imprisonment suspended for three years and also fined €400.
The incidents took place during a strike by the drivers of buses, coaches, mini-buses and taxis to protest over public transport reforms.
A large number of bus, taxi and mini-van drivers rushed up Ġlormu Cassar Avenue after the police ordered them to remove vehicles blocking the road around the War Memorial in Floriana.
A number of drivers charged up the steps of Castille, trampling over policemen and slamming their fists on the closed door, while shouting obscenities at the government, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and his family.
Although the police were quick to drive up to the Prime Minister's Office, they were outnumbered by the drivers, who charged through a small number of policemen to get to the main door. Three busloads of policemen, including Police Commissioner John Rizzo, arrived shortly afterwards but it took around two hours for Mr Rizzo to convince the drivers to move away.
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Simon Cutajar
Jun 8th 2011, 18:18
Welcome ARRIVA !
Mr Etienne Lentini
Jun 8th 2011, 14:13
Our new slogan to promote MALTA abroad should read.... MALTA... this Island of Sun, sea and jokes...... IoI
Mr mike Knight
Jun 8th 2011, 18:02
Mr.Lentini the island of sun and sea but definitly no jokes they just do not know what a joke is as the Maltese have absolutly no sence of humour whatsoever............end of story..
Joe Fenech
Jun 8th 2011, 08:43
SUSPENDED sentence! Spare yourself the embarrassment.
Mr Keith Davis
Jun 8th 2011, 16:56
Zero tolerance to violence, whatever the reason might be!
Mr R. Abela
Jun 7th 2011, 21:13
These bus drivers were angry because somebody promised them otherwise before the election. They were protesting for their daily bread and the angry escalated due to arrogance from some people in power. It's a harsh sentece when consider other crimes commited on other criminal cases. Remember, consider yourself in this situation, blackmailed of losing your job when you had a garantee otherwise.
Mr Joseph N. Attard
Jun 7th 2011, 23:06
Mr Abela, many of us are angry at something or other, but we do not "form part of a group with intent to commit a crime and disobey police orders", neither do we "slightly injure a policeman" when we are angry. Your attempted justification, which flies in the face of all the other comments, betrays the frame of mind of a certain part of the population, and is one of the reasons why we consistently ask the courts to be less lenient with lawbreakers.
Mr Peter Korsten
Jun 7th 2011, 23:10
I don't have a guarantee for work. I have to work hard every day to prove it. Why should it be different for a bus driver? Wake up, we're in the 21st century. This is not a communist state. There's no such thing as a guaranteed job, and I for one am not willing to subsidise someone else's job.
Kenneth Williams
Jun 7th 2011, 23:27
Issa jghaddu sentejn ohra u jinsew min x hiex ghaddew.U jergghu jibilghi xi haga ohra.(Forsi jwedghom xi job ma l ARRIVA) il poplu qaghad ghal kollox.
Ramon Mangion
Jun 8th 2011, 08:18
Mr. Abela I used to work in a 5 star hotel at that time in reception and I assure you that we had major problems and very frightened tourists. Such incidents have a cascading effect, so consider everything please thanks
Mr joseph saliba
Jun 8th 2011, 08:57
bla...bla...bla..
Ray Gatt
Jun 8th 2011, 09:08
Mr. Abela, do you know how many times they promised to better the service. Do you know how many times some of them let the country down because of their bullying tactics. Do you know how many times they just decided not to run a route and let people wait for hours on end rain or shine. Some of these drivers are nothing less than thugs. They should have been locked up instead of these suspended sentences, or at least made to do community work under supervision. Thank God for the 3rd of July 2011.
Mr Charles camilleri
Jun 7th 2011, 19:19
oxxenita minn kull att. Three full yrs had to pass for just a simple and obvious case for our courts to come with a suspended sentence as one expects. dispropjagrace .And they expect to enjoy the trust of the citizens.
francois esteva'
Jun 7th 2011, 19:08
LOL LOL LOL Maltese amateurs, breaking up for the summer season i guess, hence suspended for 3 years who are these islanders kidding. LOL LOL LOL anywhere else anything to do with the law would have been dealt with there and then not in the year 2014 (i like their style in Malta)
Mr Chali Wires
Jun 7th 2011, 19:00
I sincerely pity the police force. Staying for all the abuse, investigating crimes and bringing people to justice.. for what? For the Court take the mick out of them! Another suspended sentence.. well done.
francois esteva'
Jun 7th 2011, 22:31
As i say Amateurs well you've heared of Burke's Law well this is Maltese law. break their law to-day. pay for it around doom's day when ever that is, depends how full their prisons are, and yet their police force do all the hard work for niks. lovely jubbly
Mr Joseph N. Attard
Jun 7th 2011, 18:48
I will refrain from commenting on the sentences meeted out by the courts. Instead, I refer to the comments by the other contributors, and to those regarding numerous similar cases. Does anybody in authority read them? Does any civil servant bring them the attention of the Minister concerned? By whom are such comments consistently ignored? Is the Government not aware that its citizens (its voters) are thoroughly fed up with this situation* at the Courts? Why this laissez faire attitude?
(*situation: risible sentences and massive delays)
Mr Keith Davis
Jun 7th 2011, 18:31
3 whole years for the court to pass judgement over such a small and obvious matter. Are these indivduals now entitled to compensation for right of fair hearing within a reasonable time at the tax payers expense?!
We definately need to get away from suspended sentences where authority personnel and police officers are attacked. Such instances should be punished rightaway.
Minister please take note of peoples dissent !
Peter Borg
Jun 7th 2011, 18:04
Qorti ghal xejn is-soltu storja...tista zarma min hemm..u jekk din hi skuza ghax il habs mimli jsibu post iehor jekk iridu!!! U jista xi hadd jajdli ghala il-puluzija ta malta f kazi bhal dawn imorru armati bil-pala ta idejhom biss? ghala ma andniex bhal barra, gharmati bil baton (skuzani ma nafx x jajdula bil malti) u xi forma ta tarki jekk forsi jkollom bzonnom...mhux kulldarba jaqilaw xi xaba tajba!!!
Mr Richard Caruana
Jun 7th 2011, 17:51
Can we have suspended sentences for parking tickets, please????
francois esteva'
Jun 7th 2011, 19:21
Now don't be a silly Billy Mr.Caruana how else can they pay for their uniforms if suspended sentences are introduced for parking tickets, you talking cash here, thats a different story
Mr Aaron Vella
Jun 8th 2011, 00:19
Of course not, don't you know that suspended sentences are for drug trafficers, pedophiles and violent people in Malta?
Gilbert Lia
Jun 7th 2011, 17:39
Same old story.When will the court start acting seriously on such events?A police officer was slightly injured and nothing happens???What a shame.
Mr Geoff Gibson
Jun 7th 2011, 17:39
pleaded guilty to the charges and yet it's taken three years to sentence them? Am I alone in thinking there is something fundamentally wrong here?
Joseph Borg
Jun 7th 2011, 17:34
3 years to conclude a court sentence? WOW, efficiency and democracy at its best...
Say no more.
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Jun 7th 2011, 17:32
Prosit ghall darbohra lil qrati taghna. No wonder fix jinsab il pajjiz.
Charles Micallef
Jun 7th 2011, 17:27
WHY SUSPENDED..........?
Reuben Vassallo
Jun 7th 2011, 17:36
Like anyone else siehbi! Pedofils, Frauds, Thefts, where are you livinig? Abroad by any chance..
carmel parnis
Jun 7th 2011, 17:45
dawn ghal ma ARRIVA lol