Alfred Mifsud fails to turn up to court in document robbery case

Alfred Mifsud, the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank has failed to turn up in court for the second time this morning.

Mifsud was due to appear before magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo this morning, to answer to charges of ragion fattasi – which translates loosely into having taken the law into his own hands - on a criminal complaint filed by his former partner Anna Zelbst.

Zelbst is claiming that Mifsud stole a number of documents from her apartment. The nature of the documents did not emerge in court.

Mifsud's lawyer Paul Lia said his client had not received a copy of the charges, having only been notified of the sitting date. “We aren't even sure what this case is about.” He apologised for the absence of his client, who he said, was currently on his way back from a trip to the US.

Today, Zelbst's lawyer Albert Libreri asked the court to order police to proceed against Mifsud for an additional charge of stealing the documents from her apartment on the night between Sunday 19th and 20th June.

After being told that it was not possible for the parte civile to add another charge during the proceedings, Libreri asked that the charges of ragion fattasi be withdrawn and a new charge, of theft, filed in its stead.

Last June, Mifsud had filed a criminal complaint against Zelbst, alleging defamation and blackmail, after she alleged that he had taken bribes for the installation of banking software by the M Demajo group, in his previous job as Mid Med Bank chairman.

The case continues.