The hearing of the appeal of former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo began yesterday afternoon. The hearing came as a surprise for many as the appeal was only filed on 17 December. Sources said the case is being heard sooner than other cases.

Arrigo’s jail sentence was handed down on 26 November in connection with taking a backhander. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo, had found him guilty of taking bribes, trading in influence and revealing state secrets. He was sentenced to two years and nine months in jail and stripped of his rights – the right to vote and the right to hold public office among others – following a general interdiction.

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.

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. Details of the appeal were not made public as Noel Arrigo and his lawyers felt otherwise.

The Attorney General did not file an appeal in view of the Criminal Code provisions – which only allow the prosecution’s appeal in certain cases, legal sources explained.

Since only the defence counsel has filed its appeal, the sentence can only be confirmed or reduced, they added. Judges Joseph Zammit McKeon, David Scicluna and Noel Cuschieri are presiding the court.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Robert Abela are representing Arrigo.