Former head of Security Services acquitted of causing serious injuries to elderly man

The former head of the Malta Security Services, assistant commissioner Godfrey Scicluna, has been acquitted of involuntarily causing serious injuries to an elderly pedestrian in 2012.

Scicluna, 61 from Paola, was charged with reckless driving and of having involuntarily caused serious injury to Raffaele Lugermo, who was hospitalised for several months, but eventually dying of natural causes in February 2013 - just a week after the case came to light.

Acquitting him, Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona said it was the court's belief that the elderly man had fainted and fell to the floor, rather than being hit by the car.

Scicluna told the court he was reversing his government company car in Paola when Lugermo crossed the street. He reported hearing a bang at the time of the incident.

The incident went unreported by police until a probe by MaltaToday earlier this year led to Scicluna suspending himselg.

Witnesses summoned by the prosecution denied hearing braking sounds or the sound of an impact while police officers who went on site testified that they did not find any brake marks and that Scicluna's car had not been damaged by the impact.

Lawyers Lucio Sciriha and Gianella de Marco appeared for the accused.