The alleged victim in the police case against Sliema deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer says he is willing to forgive him but still wants justice to " run its course".
Marvic Camilleri admits he went through phases after reporting Cyrus Engerer to the police, sometimes wanting to press charges and sometimes wanting the case to end as soon as possible." It's not only me who wants justice. It's also my employers and colleagues. Our right to privacy was invaded," Marvic Camilleri said.
This is the first time he has spoken out since Tuesday, when The Times reported that Mr Engerer was being charged with distribution of obscene images, computer misuse and the vilification of Mr Camilleri.
Mr Camilleri filed a police report in January 2010 after nude images of him were stolen from his computer and circulated via e-mail to his employers and friends, and he suspected this was the vindictive work of his former boyfriend, Mr Engerer.
After a police investigation involving the Cyber Crime Unit, the police filed charges against Mr Engerer on Monday. Mr Engerer is insisting that whoever leaked the charges wanted to tarnish his reputation. After the item on the charges against Mr Engerer appeared, Mr Camilleri appointed Andy Ellul and Vince Micallef as legal counsel and, in his presence, they told The Times he was willing to drop the charges.
But yesterday Mr Camilleri decided to dismiss his lawyers, primarily because of their connection to the Labour Party after the case became too politicised. Although they told him they were active members of the party and he initially overlooked this he eventually realised it could become a problem, he said.
The way the case has developed, he said, made their political connection " odd".
The PL has claimed there was an orchestrated effort to get back at Mr Engerer because of his defection from the Nationalist Party earlier this month. " Anyway, I'm only a witness in this case. I don't need a lawyer," he said.
Originally, Mr Camilleri had sought the advice of his lawyer friend Marion Camilleri but she directed him to the other lawyers because she had worked for the Sliema local council and thought there could be a conflict of interest.
Mr Camilleri confirmed what Police Commissioner John Rizzo said on Tuesday, that he never formally told the police to drop the charges.
"I had called the Cyber Crime Unit some months ago to see what I would need to do to drop the charges.
"They said I would have to inform the Valletta police station. I never got down to doing it. It's not that I had changed my mind, it was just something that I never did.
"When something like this happens, part of you wants justice and part of you wants the case to end as soon as possible, so you go through phases."
Mr Camilleri had in the past been involved in the PN but has no active role in the party today.
Clarification: Marvic Camilleri appointed lawyers Andy Ellul and Vince Micallef this week (on Tuesday) when the story about the case was published in The Times. Mr Camilleri filed the police report in January 2010 without the assistance of any lawyers.