Jail term cut by three months

The Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday delivered judgment in an appeal filed by Fabian Galea and Michael Zahra.

The two co-accused had been found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment following a trial by jury concluded in April 2001.

Galea had been jailed for nine-and-a-half years and fined Lm10,000 after he was found guilty of a serious of charges connected to cultivation of cannabis, including being a relapser.

Zahra had been sentenced to nine months imprisonment and fined Lm10,000 on the same charges but he had not been charged with being a relapser.

The appellate court composed of Chief Justice Vincent Degaetano, Mr Justice Joseph A. Filletti and Mr Justice David Scicluna upheld the appeal filed by Galea and declared that he had been given an excessive penalty that was not in conformity with the law.

The Court of Criminal Appeal reduced Galea's prison sentence by three months.

Zahra's appeal was dismissed.