Former Labour Party general secretary Jimmy Magro has been sentenced to four years, eight months in prison after being found guilty of corruption-related charges.
Magro was found guilty of trading in influence and corruption. His lawyers said they intend to appeal the decision. This would mean that the jail sentence would be suspended pending the outcome of the appeal.
Magro was accused of having solicited a €25,000 bribe in exchange for helping a bidder secure a €250,000 public contract for waste collection equipment in 2014. Magro was a special consultant to the Local Councils Association at the time.
The failed bidder refused to pay the money and subsequently filed multiple reports about the alleged bribery attempt, including meeting with then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. It had been reported that the bidder in a previous sitting told the court that Muscat told him "don't come to me with these things".
The matter was later taken up by the Permanent Commission Against Corruption, which in 2018 said it was "morally convinced" that Magro had solicited the bribe.
Despite this conclusion, criminal charges were only brought against Magro two years later.
Magro had served as general secretary of the Labour Party for 12 years until 2003.
The case was prosecuted by Police Inspector Wayne Rodney Borg.
Magro was represented by lawyers Michael Sciriha and Roberto Spiteri.
Joseph Muscat statement
Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat issued a statement later in the day, saying that he had told the bidder to go to the competent authorities.
"I would like to clarify I was never called to testify in these proceedings. To set the record straight, I told the person concerned that he should go to the competent authorities with any allegations rather than expect the Prime Minister to intervene in a contract by the Local Councils Association, which is not a government entity. The implication was that the person would like me to intervene in order to keep the issue under wraps since Mr Magro previously held a position within the Labour Party. I said he should take any action that he deemed fit rather than coming to me with such a request. I am informed he did so. This is consistent with what my predecessors used to do when they would ask anyone making allegations to go to the Police Commissioner."