A jeweller was yesterday cleared of making a false declaration when he issued a

document certifying that a diamond was worth Lm20,000 when it was, in reality, worth half that amount.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard how Charles Azzopardi, 53, of Attard had been charged with issuing a false certificate after his brother, who was a retired jeweller, asked him to issue it.

In August 2004 Diana Grech filed a police report because she felt she had fallen a victim to fraud. She called her lawyer who suggested that she take the diamond back to Mr Azzopardi as he was known as a reputable jeweller.

Ms Grech did as her lawyer said and when Mr Azzopardi evaluated the diamond

he agreed that it was worth between Lm10,000 and Lm12,000.

He remembered certifying her diamond and evaluating it at Lm20,850 and

explained that he had done so because his brother Walter, a retired jeweller who he trusted, had asked him to.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Joseph Schembri for the accused argued that

their client could not be found guilty as he did not have a criminal intent.

The magistrate agreed with the defence and noted that the fact that Mr

Azzopardi issued the certificate was not sufficient for conviction.

She noted that Mr Azzopardi had never declared that he personally examined the diamond and, apart from that, he relied on his brother who was also a

jeweller and was experienced in the matter. He was therefore cleared of the charges pressed against him.