A “malicious” letter by the Ombudsman calling on Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco to be “relieved of his duties” was one of the reasons behind the impeachment proceedings he was now facing, the judge said in court yesterday.

He was testifying in a criminal libel case he filed against Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino, who had sent the letter to the President and the media.

Standing before Magistrate Francesco Depasquale, Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said it was crystal clear that the Ombudsman wrote the defamatory letter in his personal capacity.

It was written in the wake of the controversy over ticket sales for the Winter Olympics by the Maltese Olympic Committee.

Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco contested the phrase “implicated in corruption” – even though the word ‘corruption’ had never been used. “It’s the worst that can be used to tarnish a member of the judiciary”.

The contents of the letter shocked the country and came from a man who “lived his life living the law and knew the implications of his words”, he said.

The word ‘scandal’ had never been used by the International Olympic Committee either. Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco presented a letter issued on Wednesday from the IOC which said he had not been found guilty of any corruption, misconduct or wrongdoing.

The Ombudsman’s letter led to an entire campaign in the media against him and was one of the reasons why the Prime Minister started procedures against him.

The words had a certain weight because they came from a former Chief Justice. Had he been truly concerned about his situation, Dr Said Pullicino would not have sent the letter to the media but he did so “maliciously” when there was an ongoing issue with another judge.