Former police superintendent cleared of accepting bribes in case dating back 14 years
Former police superintendent Patrick Spiteri has been cleared of bribery charges in a case dating back to 2006 after the court dismissed the testimony of the prosecution’s star witness
18 December 2020, 4:24pm
by Matthew Agius
The court ruled that the prosecution s star witness was not credible, acquitting Patrick Spiteri of bribery charges
A retired police superintendent has been cleared of accepting bribes relating to an illegal lotto operation, after evidence given by the prosecution’s star witness was declared inadmissible.
Patrick Spiteri, 63, was found not guilty of accepting bribes of €200 monthly from illegal lotto organisers, over a span of more than six years in return for tip offs about police raids.
Defence of insanity upheld
The Court must examine whether at the time of the commission of the crime, the accused could have resisted from carrying out the offence
13 December 2020, 7:52am
by Malcolm Mifsud
The Court must examine whether at the time of the commission of the crime, the accused could have resisted from carrying out the offence. This was held in Il-Pulizija -v- Arouna Sow decided on 4 December 2020 by Magistrate Dr Monica Vella.
Sow was accused of causing slight bodily harm to 3 persons and breaking the public peace. The Court analysed the evidence. The inspector who prosecuted the case testified and explained that on 27 June 2020 at 11.30 am, the Msida police station received a telephone call that a person had attacked some people in Msida. The police arrested the man. At first, they thought he was under the influence of a drug but at Mater Dei Hospital, the doctors recommended that he be taken to a psychiatrist. In fact, he was taken to Mount Carmel Hospital, an