Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/927417
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY 2018 News MATTHEW AGIUS IT was a day for objections in front of Mr Justice Joseph Zam- mit McKeon on Tuesday as he continued hearing the constitu- tional case filed by former Na- tionalist Party leader Simon Bu- suttil to stop a judge married to a Labour MEP from hearing the Panama Papers appeals. Busuttil had gone to court last summer asking the inquiring magistrate to investigate several individuals, including the Prime Minister, his chief-of-staff Keith Schembri and minister Konrad Mizzi, over their involvement in Panama Papers and the possibil- ity they may have been involved in money laundering. The case came before Magistrate Ian Far- rugia, who decided to proceed with the inquiry. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Schembri, Mizzi, Nexia BT's Bri- an Tonna and Karl Cini, Kasco Group general manager Mal- colm Scerri and former Allied Newspapers managing director, Adrian Hillman, appealed the magistrate's decision. The appeals ended up in front of Judge Antonio Mizzi, the hus- band of Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi. Busuttil called for the judge to recuse himself but Miz- zi ruled against. Subsequently, Busuttil filed a constitutional case to overturn Mizzi's deci- sion. The case is being heard in front of Zammit McKeon. The case before Mizzi is in sus- pended animation, pending the outcome of the Zammit McKeon proceedings. In today's sitting, Attorney General Peter Grech objected to Busuttil's lawyer, Ja- son Azzopardi, presenting the court with official transcripts of submissions before Mizzi in Au- gust, and to the exhibition of a legal copy of the decrees by Mag- istrate Aaron Bugeja in both of Simon Busuttil's applications to the court, saying they were "ir- relevant" to the proceedings. Law professor Ian Refalo, de- fending Hillman, also objected to Busuttil's exhibition of a Mal- taToday report on a speech by MEP Marlene Mizzi last August, saying that "this was the proof that she was reported as saying something, but not that she ac- tually said it" and therefore fell short of being the best evidence presentable. A number of lawyers told the court that they had not been no- tified with a note filed by Azzo- pardi on Friday, so the judge or- dered that they be notified there and then. A court messenger took the initiative to serve the lawyers with the acts during the sitting, earning himself praise from the judge for his sense of duty. The case continues on Febru- ary 13. REQ NO: 99425 *7 year repayment period applicable to all loans of €10,000 and over. All other loans repayable over a maximum period of 5 years. O•er valid until 28 February 2018. **For a loan of €10,000, repayable over 7 years at a fixed borrowing rate of 4.99% per annum, where a processing fee of €40.00 will be charged, the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) will be 5.3%. Monthly repayments will be €141.63 and total amount paid after 7 years will be €11,936.92. Approved and issued by HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., 116, Archbishop Street, Valletta VLT1444 which is regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority. 99425-01/2018 Together we thrive CLICK hsbc.com.mt/start CALL 2380 2000 VISIT your local branch SMS send text message "PERSONAL LOAN" to 7900 2380 (Normal SMS tari•s apply) HSBCMalta HSBC_MT JOY IS GETTING WHAT YOU WANT TODAY WITH A PERSONAL LOAN • Up to 7 years' repayment* • Funds transferred same day • Full amount finance 4.99% Interest rate** Hair-splitting continues as Panama appeals drag on Objections by lawyers representing the Prime Minister, six high-ranking government officials and their associates who filed appeals against a magistrate's decision to investigate them over Panama Papers, featured prominently in a sitting before the constitutional court The protagonists in the ongoing Panama Papers court case, which has dragged on with one appeal after another (File photo: James Bianchi/MediaToday)