The first lot of 20 people were arraigned in court yesterday in connection with the bribery scandal at the Malta Maritime Authority (MMA), where hundreds of mariners allegedly paid bribes for their licences from two MMA officials.
They were charged with pleaded guilty to trading in influence, making a false declaration and making use of forged documents in order to abusively obtain a licence.
Four of the accused – George Azzopardi, Nazzareno Camilleri, Alan Cilia and Salvu Schembri – admitted to the charges brought against them in Court.
The Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Magistrate Michael Mallia, sentenced the four guilty mariners to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and a Lm500 fine. They were also disqualified from holding a mariners’ licence for a year, and have to re-apply for their licence.
The other mariners charged in court yesterday were Michel Attard, Paul Azzopardi, Jude Caruana, Christian Cassano, Grezzju Dalli, George Grech, Ian Meli, Carmelo Micallef, Dominic Micallef, Joseph Micallef, Francis Muscat, Kevin Sammut, Joseph Spiteri, Carmel Vella, Joseph Vella and Jason Zammit.
Of these, three did not appear in Court as they had not been notified while the remaining 13 asked for a postponement of their cases in order to reconsider their position.
Another 20 mariners are expected to be arraigned in Court this morning facing the same charges in front of Magistrate Mallia.
In all, around 430 mariners will face legal proceedings in front of Magistrate Mallia, in batches of 20 each, between yesterday and next Tuesday after they allegedly bribed two MMA officials to bypass the mariners’ licence exam, which is obligatory to obtain a mariners’ licence.
Police Inspector Ian Abdilla and MMA lawyers Franco Vassallo and Joseph Camilleri prosecuted, with various lawyers appearing for the defence.
Four months ago, on 26 June, two MMA officials – Small Ships Administrator and MFA vice-president John Farrugia, 60, and clerk Ivan Muscat, 30 – were arraigned in Court on charges of corruption.
Farrugia and Muscat were remanded to custody by Magistrate Silvio Meli who declined their lawyers’ request for bail.
They were also accused of forming a society with a criminal intent through the falsification of MCAST documents, punishable by four years’ imprisonment or more. Farrugia and Muscat were also charged with accepting bribes for personal profits and with having offered advantages to those who bribed them.
Police sources say that the kickbacks ranged from Lm75 to around Lm250, increasing along the years since the MCAST mariners’ licence exam was introduced in 2001.

czahra@mediatoday.com.mt