Panamanian gets reduced sentence in criminal appeal

A court of criminal appeal has revoked a guilty verdict reached by jurors in the trial of Eduardo Navas Rios, of Panama.

The court, presided by Mr Justice David Scicluna, Mr Justice Abigail Lofaro and Mr Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon, said the prosecution had not presented evidence beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty of aggravated theft, and acquitted the appellant of the second count of the bill of indictment and revoked the previous sentence.

However the court confirmed the accused's guilt on all the other charges, condemning the Panamanian to a term of three years and ten months' imprisonment and amended the term for the payment of the fine to commence from today.

Navas Rios was last year condemned for four years and six months' imprisonment and fined €10,000 over charges of money laundering, aggravated theft, possession of firearms together with concealing and disguising property deriving from criminal activity.

On March 9, jurors had found him not guilty with six votes against three of the first count of the bill of indictment but guilty of the offence under the first count without the offence being continuous.

The same jury, with a vote of seven in favour and two against had also found the accused not guilty of the second count of the bill of indictment but guilty of aggravated theft and with eight votes in favour and one against had acquitted him of the third count of the bill of indictment.

The Court of Appeal reduced the prison term of the accused by eight months, confirmed the rest of the accused's guilty and confirmed the fine of €10,000. Dr Joe Mifsud appeared for the accused.