The chief of staff of the Home Affairs Ministry, Silvio Scerri, yesterday withdrew a criminal complaint he had made against the former chairman of the Malta Council for the Arts, Adrian Mamo.

The three-year-old court case was instituted following an e-mail Mr Mamo had sent to former Education Minister Dolores Cristina and former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.

The police had issued charges against Mr Mamo for defamation and computer misuse, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Through his lawyer Reuben Farrugia, Mr Scerri said yesterday that, since he was no longer involved in business, he had no interest to continue with the case.

Lawyer Joe Giglio, appearing for Mr Mamo, said that while he acknowledged the case had been dropped, his client deplored the fact that the unfounded case was instituted in the first place.

He said the case had been dropped on an irrelevant and incorrect premise.

Over the past three years Mr Scerri had, on several occasions, solicited an apology from Mr Mamo, yet Mr Mamo refused, the lawyer said.

Dr Giglio said Mr Mamo had no reason to apologise for doing his job as MCCA chairman and it was actually Mr Scerri who should apologise for having opened the court case.

Magistrate Saviour Demicoli dismissed the case.

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