Magistrate dismisses case against ‘wanted’ man

A man for whom the police had issued a wanted notice that was subsequently withdrawn has been cleared of by the courts because the case is time-barred.

Franco Scicluna had his face plastered on the media on 2 July after the police issued a wanted notice, saying he was wanted in connection with an ongoing court case. Shortly after, the police issued a statement that Scicluna was no longer wanted.

During a hearing before Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech on 8 July it transpired Scicluna had never been formally summoned by the court to appear in front of it. This raises question marks as to why the wanted notice was issued in the first place.

The case involves the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations.

But in the sitting of 8 July, the magistrate dismissed the case against Scicluna decreeing that it was time-barred.

Writing to MaltaToday and other news portals, Scicluna’s lawyer, Alfred Abela, says the dismissal of the case demonstrates his client’s innocence and suggests that the “original action may have been intended to harm” his client and business.

Abela asked that his client’s acquittal be published along with his photo.