A woman was handed a suspended sentence after admitting to giving false testimony in a case which saw a bus driver being cleared of driving dangerously and critically injuring a woman.
The case dates to 2008 when Inna Said was hit by a bus in St Paul’s Bay. She suffered head injuries and spent over 17 days in hospital, even suffering from epilepsy as a result of injuries sustained to her brain.
In 2013, bus driver Massimo Bonello, 42, was cleared of driving negligently and dangerously and of seriously injuring Ms Said. He was fined €150 for driving without a licence since he had not renewed it.
Last year, Ms Said’s husband Publius issued a 15-page declaration to the police mapping out his suspicions: that several witnesses may have misled the court in order to acquit the driver.
Last year, Ms Said’s husband Publius issued a 15-page declaration to the police mapping out his suspicions: that several witnesses may have misled the court in order to acquit the driver.
In the declaration, he had insisted that these testimonies resulted in the court ruling that his wife caused the accident by running into the road without keeping a proper lookout.
His suspicions were this morning proven correct after Maria Louise Pearson admitted to giving false testimony.
Anthony Stellini, appearing parte civile for Ms Said, described the case as a “miscarriage of justice”, adding that Ms Pearson had been coerced into giving false testimony.
He appealed to Magistrate Josette Demicoli for criminal proceedings against Mr Bonello to be reopened, pointing out that the judiciary had been misled by false testimony given by “various people”.
Whilst highlighting the gravity of the offence, the court handed Ms Pearson a two-year jail term suspended for four years.
Inspector Kylie Borg prosecuted while Carina Najiah appeared for the accused.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140128/local/-Accident-witnesses-misled-court-.504446