Patrick Spiteri’s lawyer told a court today that due to his degrading health, his client’s continued detention constituted as inhuman and degrading treatment. 

Spiteri was extradited to Malta from the UK in May on charges of being fraud, misappropriation of funds and falsification of documents. Spiteri, who allegedly misappropriated €7.4 million, is currently being held in preventive custody at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

A physician who was appointed by the court, which is presided over by Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona, said that due to a rare skin condition, Behcet's syndrome, the overcrowding, stress and cigarettes within a prison is proving detrimental to Spiteri’s health.

Lawyer Stefano Filetti, who is representing the defence, told the court that his client was never shown to be on the run, as was indicated by the prosecution, but rather he was a sick man who needed to treated. 

He described Spiteri’s imprisonment as a disproportionate measure and suggested that Spiteri return to his residence.

In a sitting last Friday, Spiteri told Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera: “I get very frequent headaches and need constant access to medication. Every time I take my medication late, I end up losing the medication cycle and have to start over. Smoking in the division is affecting my health. I get skin lesions, my eye hurts and I get frequent diarrhoea. The heat inside is unbearable but at the same time, I cannot open the door because of the smoke coming in and the noise of the loud music constantly playing. That prison cell is making my health worse.”

The case continues.