A taxi driver who was jailed for seven years after jurors found him guilty of aiding migrants to leave the island yesterday filed an appeal arguing that they could not have found him guilty given the weak evidence.

Gordon Dimech, 36, had originally been charged with another man, Dennis Mckay, 40, but the latter died six months ago. The jurors heard how they had sold a small speed boat to a group of migrants.

The migrants sailed out but returned after about 15 minutes because the boat was too small to handle the rough sea in December 2005.

One of the migrants, Jaser Salem el Dagham, testified that he had seen Mr Dimech deliver extra fuel to them in jerry cans and was at the scene when they left.

He said the boat had been purchased by the group of migrants through another man, Hafes Bertawi, from Mr Mckay and Mr Dimech.

In the appeal Mr Dimech said that the evidence was weak. He contended that Mr Justice Michael Mallia had intervened and asked large number of questions which left a negative impression of the accused on them.

The Judge had also given an erroneous legal interpretation of the law to jurors in the final address.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Veronique Dalli signed the appeal.