‘Il-Porporina’ in court outburst over denied access to lawyer during statement

Alfred Bugeja 52, known as 'Il-Porporina' had to be escorted out of Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona's court room this morning after he hit out at Inspectors Anthony Portelli and Robert Vella, for allegedly not allowing him access to a lawyer when he was arrested in connection with the theft of a van laden with cigarettes.

The case goes back to November 2008, when Bugeja, together with an accomplice Clive Agius, 28 of Floriana were out on bail and committed the theft of a van laden with cigarettes, while its driver was distributing to shops.

According to the police, Bugeja and Agius had admitted during interrogation that they had 'exchanged' a dispensing machine laden with cigarettes, and worth some Lm1,000 for half a gramme of cocaine, which was worth not more than Lm20 at the time.

Bugeja made his outburst as soon as his co-accused Clive Agius was ending his testimony, where he accused the police of denying him access to a lawyer while being interrogated.

While the Inspector read out Agius signed statement, which included his approval that the statement was not taken under any form of duress, Bugeja stood up in the dock, raised his hand and shouted: "what nonsense is this, it is obvious that you extracted that statement."

While the Magistrate questioned whether the case was investigated during the time that the law was eneacted by parliament, Agius - who was still on the witness stand - argued "yes it was, and they didn't give me a lawyer."

While the Inspector interrupted and drew the Court's attention to a judgment handed yesterday by the Constitutional Court which ruled there was no breach of any fundamental human rights of a suspect when releasing a statement to the Police while under arrest, without having a lawyer present.

The Constitutional Court ruled against an appeal filed by Charles Muscat, known as 'Il-Pips' from Mosta, who was interrogated in 2002 in connection with a major drug trafficking operation which involved a number of persons who were held at Corradino prisons.

Still standing, Bugeja shouted that the judgment was a farce, and together with Agius, insisted to retract their statements.  

The case was put off to another date for Bugeja to calm down, and the matter be looked into.

Bugeja - who has spent almost his entire adulthood in prison over a series of thefts - raised the matter in the wake of the controversy relating to the application of the law providing for a suspects' right to a lawyer during interrogation to come in force, which had been passed in Parliament in 2002 by unanimous approval but was left dormant for years before being put in force in 2010.