A man who the police said was wanted in relation to a pending court case has been cleared of all charges, and has claimed that he had never been summoned to appear before a magistrate.

On 2 July, the police issued a statement saying that the man, Franco Scicluna, was wanted in connection with a court case.

Shortly afterwards, the police had issued a second statement saying he was no longer wanted. But, by that time, Scicluna's face was appearing on several news sites.

In a statement through his lawyer Alfred Abela today, Scicluna said that in a hearing before Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech on Monday, July 8, it was revealed that he had never been summoned by the court, and that this had been the first hearing of the case.

Furthermore, the case related to the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations was dismissed at the first sitting, the statement said. The magistrate ruled that the case was time-barred.

“This demonstrates the innocence of my client. Additionally, it suggests that the original action may have been intended to harm my client and his business. It is deeply troubling when justice and media are used to undermine individuals,” the statement said.

The statement asked the media to publish the acquittal along with the same photo used by the police.