The lawyer of a man who was allegedly wrongly jailed for abusing his daughter this afternoon called the court’s decision to release him a “gigantic step” as the temporary measure safeguarded the man’s right to liberty.

“I thank God for these turn of events as I shudder to think what would have happened if this man, despite an inquiry showing he could be innocent, was to remain behind bars,” Tonio Azzopardi added.

The court yesterday declared it was worried about the particular circumstances of this case as it resulted that the daughter had lied under oath and that the inquiring magistrate had recommended that criminal proceedings be filed against the daughter and her mother.

This was a serious enough circumstance to justify the provisional release of the man from prison.

Addressing the press outside the Police Head Quarters, Dr Azzopardi called for legislative amendments that would enable the reopening of a case which had already been closed by the courts.

He also urged for the full exercise of the Constitutional Court’s power, which often remained written and was not applied.

Meanwhile, he referred to the Police Inspector who investigated the daughter, Sandro Camilleri, as a “hero” as he “went against the current” and investigated the case knowing that the prosecutor was his own colleague.

Inspector Camilleri said the police were always obliged to investigate, and even look into cases that had been decided.