Former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo was yesterday sentenced to two years and nine months in jail. He has also been stripped of his rights – the right to vote and the right to hold public office among others – following a general interdiction.

Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo on Tuesday found Noel Arrigo guilty of taking bribes, trading in influence and revealing state secrets.

Once again, relatives and friends filled the court room with the atmosphere heavily pregnant in expectation of the judgement. It was no surprise that an effective (not suspended) jail term was handed down shortly after 11.30am.

However, some relatives and friends smiled on hearing the judgment. The minimum term that he could have been given was nine months while the maximum was of four years and three months.

Arrigo was found guilty of accepting a e11,650 bribe when he, along with two other judges, reduced the sentence of drug trafficker Mario Camilleri, known as l-imniehru, from 16 to 12 years in July 2002. He was also found guilty of trading in influence and revealing official secrets.

The Chief Justice is the third highest state official in Malta. The President and the Prime Minister are the top two.

The court’s primary consideration was the seriousness of the crime and that a Court of Criminal Appeal, the highest judicial organ in the penalty justice field, came under the effective control of people in criminal circles.

This factor greatly damaged the judicial system and the trust people have in the impartiality of the courts, said Mr Justice Caruana Demajo.

“Was it not for the efficiency of the police, the damage would have been longer lasting,” the court remarked.

The judge also said that Arrigo could not benefit from mitigation in punishment for co-operating with investigators as he did not do so.

The judge said that one of the functions of a jail term is to allow the reformation of character of people found guilty of criminal offences by a court of law. He said the court was certain that Noel Arrigo was not going to take the road of criminality. “The fact that a person makes a mistake does not mean he is bad,” the court said.

On the other hand, the mistake should serve as an eye-opener regarding one’s own behaviour. The court believed, he said, that Arrigo committed the crimes he committed because of friends of dubious character, and the fact that he himself, was weak in character.

The court also considered that Arrigo decided to donate the money he received to charity. The decision, said the court, surely contrasted the actions of someone who decided to spend the money at a jeweller’s shop, presumably a reference to the behaviour of Patrick Vella.

In its submissions prior to the judgement, the defence counsel said Arrigo paid for his misdeeds through the negative publicity, the humiliation and psychological trauma he went through, which left a negative impact on his health. His family had also been through very difficult times and was one of the victims of the episode, said the court.

As per Article 22 of the Criminal Code, the time Arrigo spent under house arrest, could not be deducted from the sentence.

The trial, which was held without a jury, lasted from Wednesday 11 November until Thursday 19 November. Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo handed down the verdict on Tuesday. Post-trial submissions were heard and the judgement was consequently handed down yesterday.

When the defence counsel was asked whether an appeal will be filed, Dr Joseph Giglio replied the team was covered by legal privilege and did not feel the issue was to be disclosed to members of the press. Meanwhile, the Laws of Malta do not allow for the Attorney General’s office to appeal rulings from this court.

Prosecution was led by the head of the prosecution unit within the Attorney General’s office, Anthony Barbara, together with Dr Lara Lanfranco. Lawyers Joseph Giglio, Robert Abela and Joseph Arrigo were defence counsel.

Various media reported that on the advice of his doctor, Arrigo was taken to Mount Carmel Hospital instead of Corradino Correctional Facility yesterday. But when contacted, Dr Giglio said he did not know where his client is being kept.