A man accused of corrupt practices at the last general election was declared not guilty by a court this morning.
Pierre Bartolo 44 of Swieqi, a director of Papillon Caterers, had been accused of threatening two employees and ordering them to vote Nationalist.
The case was instituted by PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia, who had told the court that after the elections he had received several reports of persons who were paid to vote Nationalist.
Testifying, PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia had said that after the elections he had received several reports of persons who were paid to vote Nationalist.
He said that Anthony Zammit, a Papillon employee, had spoken to him and told him that he had been threatened and told to vote Nationalist. A certain man he knew as Cioffi went with him to the polling station and he was told to take a photo of his ballot paper using his mobile phone.
Dr Farrugia said this was just one of around 100 to 200 cases that he had asked the police to investigate in a report.
The accused, he said, had bought votes for €200 each. Anthony Zammit was fired from work shortly after the election.
During the court hearings it was claimed that two employees, Kristylee Bezzina and Anthony Zammit had been instructed and threatened over how to vote at the general elections by their employer. Three other employees described Anthony Zammit, also known as Is-Sei, as unreliable.
The court said there had been no evidence to prove beyond all reasonable doubt the claims made by Anthony Zammit , particularly because Mr Cioffi in his testimony had denied giving him his wife's mobile phone in order to take a photo of his vote.
The court, presided by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli also found that Mr Bartolo did not influence Ms Bezzina or perform any form of corrupt practice.
The court said it believed that the fact that someone encouraged another person to go to vote or provided a means of transport to go to vote could not be seen as being an illegal influence or corrupt practice, otherwise the electoral offices of the political parties which arranged transport for those who did not have it would also be guilty of illegal influence and corrupt practice.