A man who wrote to the President accusing a magistrate, an official from the Attorney General’s office and a police inspector of corruption ended up in court yesterday, charged with making false claims and vilifying them.

Christian Demanuele, 39, a company director from St Paul’s Bay, pleaded not guilty to making the false claims in a letter he sent President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca in March.

The matter reached the police who began investigating the claims the man was making. No details of the case were mentioned in court.

The precise nature of the allegations and the identities of the people against whom they were made were not made public, with the prosecution and defence lawyers discussing the matter with the magistrate at his bench.

Mr Demanuele was charged with accusing people of committing a crime he knew had not taken place, making false claims against them, as well as vilifying and insulting them.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. The defence made no request for bail and he was remanded in custody.

Police inspector Saviour Baldacchino prosecuted while lawyer Abigail Bugeja appeared for the man as legal aid.

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