An elderly man has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to sending threatening letters to a number of public figures, including Repubblika president Robert Aquilina and his MP brother Karol Aquilina.
Joseph Mary Borg, 71, from Valletta, was arraigned before Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo. He was charged with 26 offences.
The court heard how some of the mail dated as far back as 2016. Others targeted include PN MPs Beppe Fenech Adami, Ryan Callus and Jason Azzopardi, as well as Professor Kevin Cassar, a former candidate and opinion writer.
The accused was charged with threatening his subjects, causing them to fear violence in their regard and against their families.
Borg made a request for bail, with the prosecution strongly objecting. Inspector Kevin Pulis told the court that his behaviour amounted to harassment that lasted years. The victims, he said, feared opening their letterbox. Their relatives had also been affected by the threats.
The content of some of the letters was “shocking”, the court was told, and the police are still gathering evidence. Furthermore, the accused knew the victims’ personal addresses.
Borg was also a recidivist, having been handed a probation order in 2018.
Lawyer Joseph Calleja, appearing for Borg, rebutted the objections, saying that the police had searched his client’s home and had preserved the evidence. He also argued that Borg is an elderly person suffering from several health issues.
The court turned down the bail request in view of the fear of tampering with evidence.