Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/734922
5 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2016 News The European Commission Representation in Malta invites you to a Citizens' Dialogue with First Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans it's about it's about EUROPE YOU Let's talk Thursday 6 October 6:30 p.m. The Grand Hotel Excelsior Floriana A reception will follow Parking available at no charge Italian drug fugitive arrested in Malta while filing police report MATTHEW AGIUS AN Italian fugitive, who was ar- rested in Malta while filing a po- lice report about damage to his car, is fighting extradition to serve a prison sentence in Italy for traf- ficking drugs. Fabio Vespa, a 32-year-old Naxx- ar resident had been convicted and jailed for two years and 27 days for drug offences in Italy before 2012, subsequently being charged with importing hemp and possession of cannabis in 2012, for which he was jailed for two years, a sentence confirmed on appeal last January. The prison authorities had re- leased him on parole at some point, but Vespa was arrested at the Naxxar police station on Mon- day when he went to make a report of damages to his vehicle, after his name was flagged by the Schengen Information Alert System. Speaking through a translator, Vespa confirmed that he had been read his rights and given a copy of all the relevant documents in Ital- ian. Lawyer Michael Sciriha said the accused was meticulously observ- ing the conditions of his parole in Malta. Once he finishes the re- maining three months, he would submit to extradition, the lawyer said. Sciriha told magistrate Gabri- ella Vella that Vespa's wife lived in Malta and the accused had come to be by her side after she had suf- fered a miscarriage. The lawyer said Vespa was not consenting to extradition at this stage and requested bail. Police Inspector Mario Cuschie- ri objected to bail, however, point- ing out that the man was a fugitive from justice, was being sought by the Italian authorities to serve a prison sentence for a conviction there and had committed a crime in Malta during this time. Sciriha submitted that the point at issue was that Vespa should fin- ish the judicial process in Malta before being sent to Italy. "I don't want him to be granted bail to let him escape. If he leaves Malta, he will return to the coun- try that is looking for him. Malta was his safe haven. Can the court risk releasing him on bail. I say that, in the same manner as other courts had granted bail in such situations, imposing a curfew, he should also be released." But Inspector Cuschieri argued there was a likelihood that Vespa would repeat his disappearing act in Italy. "Are we to interrupt this man's rehabilitation, therefore?" Sciriha interjected, arguing that, if anything, it should be the parole board who decides this matter. The court held that although the defence had based its argu- ments around Vespa's willingness to finish parole in Malta and then submit to extradition, it was not a question for the court to consider at this stage. Magistrate Vella said she needed to also take into account the gravity of the crime for which Vespa had been jailed in Italy and whether he could be trusted not to escape from Malta during the extradition proceed- ings. The court, however said it was not at all convinced that these two conditions are satisfied in this case and denied the man bail on the grounds of the serious nature of the crime for which he had been convicted, the fact that whatever his personal circumstances, he had arbitrarily left Italy while un- der a criminal sentence and that while in Malta, Vespa had com- mitted another crime. Lawyer Lucio Sciriha also as- sisted the accused. The fugitive was arrested at the Naxxar police station when he went to make a report of damages to his vehicle Gozo Channel employee gets community service for 'joke' €3,000 theft MATTHEW AGIUS A Gozo Channel employee has been ordered to complete 50 hours of community service af- ter being found guilty of stealing an envelope containing €3,000 in proceeds from ticket sales and then claiming it to have been a joke. In his judgement in the case of ticket collector Joseph Portelli, magistrate Joseph Mifsud ad- monished the ferry company for failing to present a note of sub- missions in the case and for not being consistent in how it dealt with cases of thefts by employ- ees. The court noted with disap- pointment that the company "is not proceeding along the same lines in cases appearing before this court. Whereas in cases over a few euros it brings all its cannons to bear against those accused, in this case over a sub- stantial amount of cash, it re- mained passive," the magistrate remarked. Portelli worked as a ticket col- lector with the Gozo Channel until July 2014, when he had found some €3,000 in an enve- lope on the baggage trailer being used by another employee, Ema- nuel Cremona. Upon finding the envelope containing cash col- lected from ticket sales, the ac- cused hid it in his vehicle. Once Cremona noted the miss- ing envelope, he informed his workmates and had conducted a search for it. Some time later Portelli had retrieved the still- sealed envelope from his vehicle and handed it to Cremona, tell- ing him that it had been a joke. The police had investigated the case after the incident made the news and had demanded to know why the ferry operating company had not reported the attempted theft to police. One witness, Joe Vella, had said that the money was returned after he had informed manage- ment that he had seen Joseph Portelli on CCTV. The court noted that Gozo Channel had no intention of fil- ing a police report on this in- cident and the police had only become involved as a result of the media report. "According to Chairman Joseph Cordina, an in- ternal inquiry was held, and the case was then closed." Cordina had taken the witness stand, explaining the incident to have been an example of a prank gone wrong, adding that it had been an internal disciplinary matter. "I don't think this was a case where the police needed to get involved. Everything was found as they left it, the envelope was not opened, meaning it was 'cajta goffa'" The court, took a dim view of this, however, opining that "with all due respect to the Chairman, it is not within his competence to decide on what is and what isn't a criminal act." The court noted that while the accused always claimed it to have acted in jest, this did not justify his actions. The crime of theft was com- pleted when the envelope had been taken and hidden in the ac- cused's car. The court sentenced the accused to 50 hours commu- nity service. Magistrate Joseph Mifsud admonished the ferry company for failing to present a note of submissions in the case and for not being consistent in dealing with employee theft Gozitan men punished for illegal trapping and hunting MATTHEW AGIUS A 62-year-old Gozitan man has been fined €3,000 and had his hunting licence suspended for two years after he admitted to trap- ping protected species outside the village of Kercem in Gozo. Inspector Edel Mary Camilleri had charged Emmanuel Camilleri with using illegal nets, as well as to having hunted without the nec- essary licence. Camilleri admitted to the charg- es. The court of magistrates in Gozo, presided by magistrate Joe Mifsud allowed the accused to pay the fine in €100 monthly in- stalments, warning that a missed payment would result in his incar- ceration. In a separate case, the same court imposed a €1,000 fine on Sunny Camilleri, 28, from Zebbug in Gozo, ordering the confiscation of his shotgun and the suspen- sion of his hunting licence for two years after he, too, admitted to hunting near Kercem during the closed season and to relapsing. Camilleri had been arraigned together with two other men, who were however cleared due to lack of evidence. Magistrate Mifsud praised the commitment shown by Bird- life Malta and the FKNK to keep hunting within the legal limits. Inspector Bernard Charles Spi- teri prosecuted.