A man who was discharged by the courts after fraud charges were dropped without a trial, has filed an official letter demanding compensation.

Alphonse Abela, former Public Transport Association secretary, had been arraigned and charged with defrauding the Education Department and other governmental authorities of some €207,370 between January 2000 and December 2001.The proceedings against him were launched in 2003. They were finally dropped in September last year for lack of evidence.

Mr Abela filed his official letter against the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General, requesting compensation.

He explained that he had been accused in April 2003 when there was no evidence against him. A Magistrate decided that there was no evidence to support the case going to trial but the case dragged on, for a further eight years because of appeals by the AG, only for the discharge to be confirmed by the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Mr Abela complained about the length of the proceedings and especially because the evidence was so weak, that he should not have been arraigned in the first place.

Dr Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri filed the official letter.

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