Jason Azzopardi fined €1,000 for filming PM, justice minister in court
Lawyer and ex-PN MP to appeal sentence
Updated 1.55pm with PL reaction
Jason Azzopardi has been fined €1,000 after a court found him guilty of illegally filming Prime Minister Robert Abela and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard in court.
Magistrate Monica Vella handed down the sentence on Friday.
The case revolves around a video clip that was shared by NET news, which showed Abela and Attard having a conversation inside the corridors of Valletta's law courts building on December 2.
Filming inside the law courts is prohibited and can only be done with the authorisation of the courts’ director-general or chief justice.
The court services agency filed a criminal complaint about the clip after seeking advice from the chief justice.
Azzopardi, a lawyer and former PN MP, was subsequently ordered to appear in court on December 9, where he faced charges of unauthorised filming inside the court building.
During that first sitting in December, CCTV footage played in court showed Azzopardi walking past the prime minister's team after exiting Hall 20.
In February, court agency lawyer Alfred Abela said Azzopardi had unquestionably filmed inside the courtroom, arguing that footage from NET TV and CCTV cameras matched perfectly.
However, defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi cast doubt on the prosecution's claim, suggesting that it was uncertain whether Azzopardi’s phone was functioning at the time, or whether the person filming was, in fact, someone else.
Jason Azzopardi will appeal
Azzopardi took to Facebook to express his disagreement with the sentence, saying he intended to appeal the decision.
"The use and abuse of state institutions by Robert Abela against his critics, including myself, will not stop me one bit from doing my work," Azzopardi said.
If he appeals, the case will be heard in front of a chief justice and two judges.
On the day the filming took place, the prime minister and his team were in court as three judges decided on an appeal filed by the Nationalist Party. The court had decided that the state advocate has the power to act independently of the government to recover funds swindled in the fraudulent concession deal privatising three state hospitals.
'Efficient, organised and zealous prosecution': PN
Reacting to the court's decision, the PN in a statement flagged "the efficient, organised, and zealous manner in which our country’s authorities and institutions took action" against Azzopardi.
Spokesperson Karol Aquilina said it was highly gratifying that, at last, the authorities succeeded in carrying out a prosecution that led to a guilty verdict without shortcomings, without dragging their feet, and without acting in complicity with those accused.
"The PN urges all of our country’s authorities and institutions to demonstrate and maintain the same level of commitment and momentum in the prosecution of clear cases of corruption, abuse of power, theft, fraud, and money laundering – particularly those involving corrupt Labour politicians and their accomplices," Aquilina added.
PL asks: what does Azzopardi know about Grech?
The PL claimed in a statement that Azzopardi has lied to the court.
The party said that following the court's decision, "PN's de facto leader Karol Aquilina" immediately issued a statement defending "his friend Jason Azzopardi".
The party referred to court decisions that denied Azzopardi's requests for the opening of magisterial inquiries against ministers, their wives and public officials. It said Azzopardi was also found guilty of lying about PL MP Carmelo Abela, Cabinet Secretary Ryan Spagnol, ministers Owen Bonnici and Silvio Schembri and Lands Authority Chief Executive Robert Vella.
"Faced with all these lies, Grech, instead of dissociating himself from Azzopardi, frequently invites him on the Nationalist media to continue lying about the people. Even the videos which Azzopardi illegally filmed in court were transmitted by the PN media.
"Karol Aquilina, Jason Azzopardi and Robert Aquilina are one clique, and it is a well-known secret that it dictates the PN's strategy and what Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has to say.
"What does Jason Azzopardi know about Bernard Grech so that he will never disassociate himself from him? What is Bernard Grech afraid of? Why is he so terrified of Jason Azzopardi?"