Ex-hunter acquitted of bribing ALE police officers

A man was acquitted of attempting to bribe police officers from the Administrative Law Enforcement section for information on patrols against illegal hunting, in a case that collapsed after nine years.

Eric Scicluna, 45, from Mtarfa, had been charged with having conspired to bribe an official from the ALE and relapsing, after the Commissioner of Police had investigated a tip-off about ALE officials who were getting overly friendly with the local hunting fraternity.

Hunters were alleged, at the time, to have given gifts to officers in exchange for being tipped off on timing and routes of ALE patrols against illegal hunting.

Magistrate Josette Demicoli had been told how two police officers had undergone disciplinary proceedings related to the investigation and then cleared.

One of these officers had testified that Scicluna had been an informant who cooperated closely with the police. Scicluna had been going through a difficult time due to family health concerns and on once occasion had confided with the accused that he was strapped for cash.

The accused had once lent him €150, which he later paid back in full, the officer said, categorically denying having ever accepted a bribe.

The second officer accused had said the he and the accused were friends and had exchanged gifts at Christmastime. He denied that cash had ever changed hands between them.

Scicluna had testified to having abandoned his former hobby after being slapped with a €6000 fine for illegal hunting at sea.

In her judgment on the case the magistrate noted none of the man's alleged accomplices had been summoned to testify and that the police officers who had been charged accepting bribes had been acquitted.

No evidence to show that the men had been in contact to hatch a plan to commit an offence had been presented before the court, it said.

Significantly, noted the court, the prospect of payment – an essential element for the offence of bribery to subsist, was absent. The accused had never promised any form of payment and the policeman never requested it, she said. The gift-giving was simply a token of their 5 year friendship, held the court. 

Scicluna was acquitted of all charges. Supts. Mario Spiteri and Simon Galea prosecuted.