Confirmed prison sentence for former bus drivers’ chief charged with minors’ corruption
Prison sentence for former Public Transport Association president Victor Spiteri confirmed on appeal on charge of corruption of minor in 2009
The one-time chief of the former bus drivers’ union ATP (public transport association), Victor Spiteri, had a four-year prison sentence for a sordid sexual relationship with a minor, confirmed on appeal.
In addition to the prison sentence, 55-year-old Spiteri had his licence to transport children suspended for ten years, and a three-year protection order was also issued in favour of the girl and her parents.
The case dates back to August 2009 when the girl was just 15. She had revealed to a boyfriend that when she was 12, Spiteri had made sexual advances to her. Although she had initially resisted, a year later she caved in to his demands and accepted to meet him. A raunchy sexual relationship developed, with the pair engaging in lustful activities on the man’s bus, at his house and even in his ATP office.
Spiteri denied the charges, claiming to have just kissed her because the minor had wanted to go steady with him.
The courts had seen an expert’s report listing 12,539 phone calls made from the girl’s mobile phone to Spiteri, and 4,930 calls that she received from the man.
In a sentence handed down yesterday evening, the Court of Appeal presided by judge Giovanni Grixti noted that the appellants had argued the conviction should be declared null as the girl’s version was not credible.
But the judge pointed out that the Court of Appeal was not allowed to disturb the court of first instance’s evaluation of the evidence.
In addition, it held that that the four-year prison sentence was within the parameters laid down by law. The appellant’s arguments were not a valid reason for the court to change its sentence, the judge said.