Man cleared of corrupting witness

An appeal court yesterday altered a five-year jail term to 30 months and reduced a Lm3,000 fine to Lm2,000 after clearing a man found guilty of heroin trafficking of corrupting a witness.

Joseph Aquilina was originally found guilty, by the Magistrates` Court, of heroin trafficking and possession within 100 metres of a school or youth centre on October 9, 1997.

He was also found guilty of threatening a witness so that he would give false evidence, slightly injuring Emanuel Barbara, breaching the conditions of previous releases and relapsing.

In the original judgment, the magistrate also ordered that a suspended sentence, dated March 5, 1997, come into effect and that another, dated December 10, 1996, be converted to one year imprisonment.

Mr Justice Vincent De Gaetano yesterday upheld Aquilina`s appeal to clear him, on lack of evidence, of threatening a witness.

The judge also quashed the Magistrates` Court`s order regarding the March, 5, 1997 sentence.

Dr José Herrera and Dr David Camilleri appeared for Aquilina.