Former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo was sentenced on Thursday morning to two years, nine months in prison after having been found guilty of accepting bribes in order to reduce the prison sentence of a convicted drug trafficker in 2002. He was also given a general interdiction. The sentence was handed down by Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo.

Dr Arrigo’s defence team have said that they will appeal. Sources told MaltaMedia that the former Chief Justice was hospitalised over the past two days and will continue to receive treatment in the coming days. Arrigo was also found guilty of trading in influence and revealing official secrets.

Mario Camilleri “l-imnieħru” and his son Pierre had been jailed for four years and three years respectively last August. The two men were involved in the alleged bribing of two judges; then Chief Justice Noel Arrigo and of Mr Justice Patrick Vella.

Anthony Grech Sant, the third person involved, had his 3-years prison sentence reduced by the Court of Criminal Appeal to 20 months as he had had no other criminal record and as he was involved only in the bribery of one judge.

The allegations against the Chief Justice and Judge came to light on the 1st of August 2002. A motion for them to be removed from their respective posts was presented on the 5th August 2002, followed by their resignation shortly afterwards.

Mario Camilleri, along with his son Pierre and two other men, Joseph Zammit and Anthony Grech Sant were in 2002 accused of corrupting the two former judges by paying them Lm 5,000 so that l-Imnieħru’s prison sentence would be reduced in the Court of Appeal.

Former Judge Dr. Patrick Vella had been sentenced to two years in prison in March 2007 after pleading guilty to bribery charges.

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