Former Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, along with Governor of the Central Bank Edward Scicluna and 12 others, are set to face trial in the Vitals case following a decision by Magistrate Leonard Caruana.
This decision was made earlier this morning during a packed court hearing in hall 20, not hall 22, the largest court hall in Malta.
Just ten minutes after the defendants entered the courtroom, the Magistrate ruled that there are sufficient grounds for all of them to face trial on indictment. This ruling led to a shocking silence within the courtroom.
The Magistrate also confirmed that the next hearing will take place in August and urged all prosecutors to maintain the same pace and momentum in the upcoming proceedings.
This decision is significant for Fearne’s career, as it has ultimately ended any hope he had of being nominated as Malta’s next European Commissioner.
Prior to the hearing, Leader of Opposition Bernard Grech posted to his Facebook stating that the country needs clean leadership and has called for the removal of Edward Scicluna as Governor of the Central Bank and Ronald Mizz the Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Economy. He also argued that the longer Robert Abela keeps the two in their position the more clear it becomes that Abela was complicit in the alleged illegal behavior.
In a Facebook post, Chris Fearne has announced that he won’t be seeking a second term as Labour deputy leader, after Magistrate Leonard Caruana’s decision. He did however assert his innocence and claim that he is sure that the court will ultimately prove his innocence. Fearne also stated that the court and state must be allowed to work “without added pressure,”.
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