Alfred Bugeja, known as Il-Porporina, was yesterday fined Lm400 after being found guilty of breaching his bail conditions on 19 May.

Mr Bugeja, who is presently on bail pending criminal proceedings against him, was only allowed to leave his house between 8am and 9.30am and again between 3pm and 4pm.

The court, presided over by magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard Police Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi testify how Mr Bugeja was stopped by police on 19 May at 1.45pm in the company of three other men.

The court heard how Mr Bugeja, both in his statement and during his testimony in court, insisted that he had left his house because he was in pain and had to go to the polyclinic for a medical check-up.

Handing down her judgement, magistrate Scerri Herrera said that although the court did not believe Mr Bugeja’s version that he left his house earlier than the time permissible due to health reasons, it was still giving the accused the benefit of the doubt.

Instead of jailing Mr Bugeja for breaching his bail conditions, the magistrate fined him Lm400.

Police Inspectors Joseph Mercieca and Geoffrey Azzopardi prosecuted while Dr Franco Debono appeared for the accused.