Former bowling champion claims malicious prosecution in drug case that dragged on for 21 years

A former bowling champion, who was acquitted of all criminal responsibility after 21 years of court proceedings over her alleged involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy, is suing the authorities, demanding they take responsibility for the damages she had suffered through what she termed a "malicious prosecution.".

Sue Abela, seven times winner of Sportswoman of the Year and recipient of Ġieh ir-Repubblika in 1999, is claiming that her prosecution was not only humiliating and unfair but also amounted to a violation of her fundamental rights.

In 2002 Abela had been charged, together with 18 others, with involvement in a conspiracy to traffic some four kilograms of cocaine and a kilogram of cannabis in Malta and Italy. Abela had always protested her innocence and refuted the accusations.

After being acquitted by the Court of Magistrates, the Attorney General had filed an appeal, which was finally rejected last September by the Court of Criminal Appeal, which confirmed her innocence.

The former bowling champion has filed a judicial letter before the First Hall of the Civil Court claiming that she had been treated unfairly at the police headquarters and had suffered humiliation because of the criminal case, which had tarnished her reputation as a well-known sportsperson.

Abela’s lawyer, Edward Gatt,  went one step further, however, alleging that she and the other suspects had been victims of a malicious prosecution.

This, together with the fact that, through no fault of her own,  the criminal case had taken 21 years to be resolved, meant that her fundamental rights had been breached by the exaggerated length of time taken to conclude the proceedings.

The judicial letter calls upon the Police Commissioner, the State Advocate, and the Attorney General to take responsibility for the breach and to settle her claim for damages, or face legal action.

Nathaniel Falzon from the AG also assisted the prosecution.