Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit was this morning fined a total of €600 after Magistrate Francesco Depasquele found him in contempt of court because police officers were not present during criminal libel proceedings.

He was fined €300 each in the cases police versus Aleander Balzan and Police vs Josef Caruana. Both cases were instituted following a criminal complaint by Lawrence Zammit.

Police Inspector Sarah Magri was not in court for the sitting and there were no other police officers in the court room.

The Magistrate also ordered that the judgement be communicated to the Minister of Home Affairs and to Judge Vanni Bonello, chairman of the law courts reform commission.

Later, the Inspector said the sitting was scheduled for 11 a.m. and she was on time. The Magistrate said he did not issue such decrees frivolously and the case had been scheduled for 10.30 a.m.

A few minutes later, when she appeared in another case, the Inspector apologised.

The magistrate said this was not directed at her personally but at her superiors. He said that his repeated requests to have a policeman stationed in his hall during cases had fallen on deaf ears.