Two years ago former chief justice Noel Arrigo and former judge Patrick Vella were accused of accepting money to reduce a prison sentence of convicted drug trafficker Mario Camilleri by four years.

Last May, attorneys defending the former judges had filed submissions in court to ask the Magistrates’ Court to stop proceedings in the case until the European Human Rights Court decides whether the former judges’ right to a fair trial has been breached.

The defence had said that on 29 October 2003, the Constitutional Court claimed the former judges’ right to a fair trial has been breached and therefore the defence had sent the case to be heard in the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg.

In the submissions filed last May, the defence attorneys requested the Magistrates’ Court to stop the proceedings of the case since the formal application to the European Human Rights Court was due to be tabled

shortly afterwards.

When the defence’s submissions were presented, Attorney General Silvio Camilleri disagreed with the defence and said the Constitutional Court did not issue any directives saying that the right to a fair trial of the two accused had been breached.

He said presiding magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona is obliged to finish hearing all the evidence presented in court. The magistrate had said that before deciding whether to uphold the defence’s request, the court must examine the judgement passed by the Constitutional Court referred to at the sitting.

The judgement passed yesterday by Magistrate Micallef Trigona said the constitutional court had ruled that there was no reason for the proceedings to be stopped.

Therefore, the presiding magistrate ruled in favour of the prosecution and ordered the case to continue.

Police commissioner John Rizzo, deputy commissioner Joseph Cachia, assistant commissioner Michael Cassar and superintendent Pierre Calleja are prosecuting while Dr Joseph Giglio, Dr Toni Abela and Dr George Abela are appearing for the former judges.