A man who has recently been released from jail after serving a two-year term after admitting to his involvement in the bribery of two judges in 2001 yesterday defended a man who stands charged with complicity in the bribery case saying he did not want to get involved in the matter.

Joseph Zammit, known as Is-Sej, was the first person who was sentenced for his involvement in the bribery case of former Judge Patrick Vella and the alleged bribery of former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo.

Patrick Vella has already faced a trial by the bench in March and has been jailed for two years. Noel Arrigo’s trial has been postponed indefinitely until the compilation of evidence against other people accused of complicity in the bribery case is concluded.

The case revolves around a Court of Appeal decision in which a 16-year sentence for drug trafficking, handed down to Mario Camilleri, known as L-Imniehru, was reduced to 12 years. Dr Arrigo and Vella were two of the three judges who reduced the sentence on appeal.

Zammit testified yesterday afternoon in the compilation of evidence against Camilleri and his son Pierre Camilleri and businessman Anthony John Grech Sant.

Testifying before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli, Zammit said that Mr Grech Sant was not aware that he had approached the two former judges to bribe them and added that Mr Grech Sant told him that he did not want to get involved in the matter.

Zammit explained that some time before the appeal judgement was expected to be handed down, Mario Camilleri’s son Pierre approached him and asked him for his help to reduce his father’s jail term on appeal. Knowing that Mr Grech Sant and Dr Arrigo were friends, he (Zammit) told Mr Grech Sant that he wanted to speak to Dr Arrigo and asked him to contact the judge on his behalf. He said some time later, Mr Grech Sant told him that Dr Arrigo was going abroad.

He explained that some two or three months later, he approached Dr Arrigo himself to speak to him about the reduction in the prison term of Mario Camilleri.

When asked, Zammit said that Mr Grech Sant had not been told why he wanted to speak to Dr Arrigo and, moreover, he did not know that he had approached the judge to speak to him about the matter.

Zammit said he personally approached and spoke to both Dr Arrigo as well as former judge Vella and had met them to discuss the matter separately. He said both judges accepted to help and said he had told them that they would each be paid Lm10,000 for their help. He said Dr Arrigo said he was not interested in the money.

Zammit said that some time after the appeal judgement was handed down and Mario Camilleri’s jail term was reduced by four years, Vella had phoned him asking him for the money he was owed. He met him and handed over Lm5,000, which irked Vella who was promised Lm10,000.

Later that day, Zammit and Pierre Camilleri went to Strait Street in Valletta to give Dr Arrigo the money but they did not meet. Zammit said he met Mr Grech Sant and told him about the matter and was told that he did not want to get involved.

Zammit said he later met Dr Arrigo outside a shop in Valletta and

handed him the Lm5,000.

At this point in yesterday’s proceedings, Magistrate Demicoli suspended Zammit’s testimony and put off the case to July when Zammit is expected to testify on recording of telephone conversations.

Police Superintendent Pierre Calleja prosecuted. Dr Joseph Brincat and Dr Franco Debono represented the accused.