A former police officer serving a 16-year jail term over drug trafficking has been awarded €1,000 in compensation after a judge found that he had not been given the right to remain silent before he was interrogated.

Mr Justice Silvio Meli found that Jean Pierre Abdilla’s human rights had been breached when he was not cautioned prior to his interrogation. He also found other breaches in the Attorney General’s discretion to have him judged following a trial by jury instead of before a magistrate and in the fact that he was not granted access to a lawyer prior to his interrogation.

Mr Abdilla had been found guilty, following a trial by jury in 2009, of trafficking heroin, possession of the drug and being in possession of protected birds and reptiles. He was handed a 16-year jail term and fined €40,000.

He had also been found guilty of conspiring to traffic heroin but this was repealed on appeal in 2013. His punishment remained unaffected.

Presiding over the First Hall of the Civil Court in its constitutional jurisdiction, Mr Justice Meli heard Mr Abdilla complain that his human rights had been breached.

The Attorney General argued that, at the time of the crime, Mr Abdilla was a police officer and therefore aware of the criminal proceedings that would be involved and what releasing a statement during an interrogation actually meant.

The court ruled that Mr Abdillia had not been granted access to legal aid before interrogation. He had also been denied access to the police file. Mr Justice Meli therefore awarded Mr Abdilla €1,000 in compensation.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Angie Muscat and Amadeus Cachia appeared for Mr Abdilla.