Magistrate rules for factual reporting

The Magistrates' Court yesterday ordered a ban on the publication of anything other than a factual report of the case against 19 people charged with drug conspiracy.

Magistrate Carol Peralta ordered a ban on "any publication and broadcast of the case on any form of media" other than factual reporting of the court proceedings.

He gave the ruling in response to a request made by lawyers Emmanuel Mallia and Giannella Caruana Curran who called on the court to order a ban on publication after a series of references to the case made on television and radio indicated that the case was being politicised.

This, they argued, was tantamount to pre-trial prejudicial publicity.

Magistrate Peralta ordered the prohibition of any publication through any medium, in respect of the offence to which the proceedings refer, or of the party charged or accused, before the termination of the proceedings.

He however allowed factual reporting of the case.

The ruling was handed down in the case against Emanuel Camilleri, 37, better known as il-Bully, his girlfriend Trudy Testa, 27, of Mqabba, his former girlfriend and champion bowler Sue Abela, 36, of Sliema, and his brother John, 34, of Mqabba, Mario Camilleri, 40, l-Imniehru, his wife Mona, 30, of Valletta and his son Pierre, 20, Charles Muscat, 35, il-Pips, his wife Yvette, 38, of l-Iklin and Alfred Bugeja, 44, il-Porporina and his brother Albert, 30, of Gzira, Anthony Gatt, 49, and his girlfriend Carmen Armeni, 41, of Mqabba and Armeni's sister Sylvana Bugeja, 29, of Gharghur, Romeo Bone, 26, of Floriana, Isaac Chetcuti, 25, of Sliema, Noel Borg, 29, of Bahar ic-Caghaq, Daniel-Victor Bonnici, 26, of Burmarrad and Juma Said Karfoosh, 35, of Hamrun.

They are charged with conspiring to traffic in cocaine and cannabis and to commit a crime on and before May 30, 2002.

Chetcuti, Sylvana Bugeja and Charles Muscat are also charged with drug possession, while Emanuel Camilleri, Mario Camilleri, Alfred Bugeja, Bone and Chetcuti are also charged with relapsing and Bone is also charged with breaching the conditions of a previous release.

Emanuel Camilleri is the only one who has filed a guilty plea to all the charges brought against him.

Magistrate Peralta yesterday also dealt with various requests for alterations or concessions to the bail conditions.

The case continues.

Police Inspectors Neil Harrison and Norbert Ciappara are prosecuting.

The defendants are being assisted by Dr Giannella Caruana Curran, Dr Emmanuel Mallia, Dr Joseph Brincat, Dr Deborah Attard, Dr John Attard Montalto, Dr Jason Azzopardi, Dr Kris Busietta, , Dr Franco Debono, Dr Ian Farrugia, Dr Joseph Giglio, Dr Chris Grima, Dr Kenneth Grima, Dr Anna Mallia, and Dr Michael Sciriha while Alfred Bugeja is appearing unrepresented.