Updated 2pm
Robert Abela’s cabinet secretary has had his driving licence suspended for six months after being found guilty of driving while drunk.
Ryan Spagnol was found to have alcohol levels almost twice the legal limit when police breathalysed him at a 1.30 am roadblock on December 22, three days before Christmas.
Police subsequently pressed charges against him and asked the court to suspend his driving licence for any period the court deemed fit.
Spagnol appeared before Magistrate Jean Paul Grech on May 24 and was found guilty of three of the four charges he faced.
The case only came to light on Friday, however, after it was highlighted on Facebook by lawyer and former PN MP Jason Azzopardi.
Azzopardi, who is currently embroiled in a libel case with Spagnol, alleged that the judgment, handed down in May, was only published on the court's online repository on August 14, the day before the Santa Marija public holiday.
Court judgements are usually made public on the same day they are handed down.
Azzopardi alleged that the delay was “on Robert Abela’s orders” and demanded resignations.
A spokesperson from Abela's office told Times of Malta that it "categorically denied" Azzopardi's claims.
Spagnol’s drink-driving case dates back to December 22, when he was stopped at a roadblock in Żejtun. A police officer noted that Spagnol’s eyes were red and that he looked drunk.
A breathalyser confirmed that – his breath alcohol level was 43.7 micrograms. The legal limit is 22 micrograms.
Spagnol’s defence sought to have the case dismissed by presenting three key arguments: they questioned the reliability of the breathalyser equipment used, argued that prosecutors had failed to present the original copy of his statement renouncing legal rights, and said medication that Spagnol was taking could have influenced breathalyser test results.
The court dismissed all three lines of defence.
It found Spagnol guilty of drunk driving, driving in a public place while not in a state to do so and driving while not in control of his vehicle. It cleared him of being drunk and unable to look after himself in a public place, saying testimony only showed that his eyes were red and that police suspected he was drunk.
The magistrate ordered the accused to pay a €1,800 fine and suspended his driving licence for six months.
'Spagnol should resign or be removed' - PN
The PN called for the resignation of Spagnol or his removal by the prime minister.
In a statement, the party said it was "scandalous" that Spagnol retained his position: "Spagnol's behaviour is illegal, irresponsible and dangerous".
It was also "scandalous" that Robert Abela had allowed Spagnol to retain his role when he knew the man was being charged in court.
"The country needs serious, mature and responsible public officials, and not people who drink-drive at night," the party said in a statement.