Bedingfield asks Standards Commissioner to probe Jason Azzopardi after he alluded to collusion between a judge and former AG lawyer

Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield asks the Standards Commissioner to investigate Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi for breach of professional confidentiality

Jason Azzopardi (left) and Glenn Bedingfield
Jason Azzopardi (left) and Glenn Bedingfield

Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield has asked the Commissioner for Standards to investigate comments made by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi during parliament, which he claims breached professional confidentiality.

The incident revolves around a parliamentary speech by Azzopardi last week in which he alluded to a possible case of collusion by a former lawyer in the Attorney General's office, who has since taken up private practice.

Azzopardi claimed that as a state prosecutor with the Attorney General, Charles Mercieca had decided not to insist on a four-year prison sentence for a convicted Fisheries Department employee, whose sentence was reduced to a three-year probation on appeal.

He also alleged that Mercieca had been a frequent guest of Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera, who presided over the appeal of Francis Caruana.

READ ALSOGraft sentence reduction: Azzopardi demands investigation into ‘judicial scandal’

Bedingfield said it was incorrect for a member of parliament to use parliamentary privilege to take umbrage against a sitting member of the judiciary, attacking their integrity, without even making proper reference to the judgment. The government Whip claimed Azzopardi's behaviour went against the code of ethics for members of parliament.

“He [Azzopardi] indirectly said that there was collusion between the lawyer who until very recently used to work at the Attorney General’s office, and third parties, meaning the Judge who delivered the judgment. He kept saying that the fact the attorney general did not insist that the appellant be given imprisonment was suspicious and warranted a judicial investigation,” Bedingfield said.

Bedingfield accused Azzopardi of failing to mention why the court opted to change the punishment on appeal as detailed in the 50-page sentence.

Read Bedingfield's letter here:

“What is even serious is the fact that Dr Jason Azzopardi stated that the lawyer representing the office of the attorney general namely Dr Charles Mercica, was not authorised to state in open court that he was not insisting on a prison sentence since he did not obtain such permission from his superiors,” Bedingfield said.  

He highlighted that if this information was true, it was, in fact, sensitive information, and should not be released by any member of office in keeping with the criminal code of Malta.

Bedingfield said Azzopardi’s claim was based on confidential inside information and this should itself be investigated by the Standards Commissioner.

Mercieca ended up at the centre of controversy after joining Yorgen Fenech's defence team less than 24 hours after resigning his post as lawyer with the Attorney General's office.

Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has ordered an inquiry into the incident, which is distinct from the instance flagged by Azzopardi.