Court warns disbarred lawyer that ‘enough time wasted’ in fraud case

A court magistrate yesterday warned former lawyer Patrick Spiteri that enough time had been wasted in a case where he was now asking the court to cross-examine witnesses already heard overseas by letters rogatory.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona warned disbarred lawyer Patrick Spiteri, 47 of Wardija, that it was more than likely that he throws out a request to cross-examine a number of foreign witnesses who were heard via letters rogatory in a case involving the misappropriation of £500,000 (€627,000).

Spiteri, who was perpetually suspended from the Maltese bar on the recommendation of the Commission for the Administration of Justice after being found guilty of falsification in 2004 and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment, suspended for four years, is facing criminal charges over the alleged misappropriation of funds entrusted to him as an investment by former London City magistrate Stuart Creggy, 63, who in 1998 was arrested by police investigating a US$17 million dollar share fraud and international money laundering conspiracy.

Creggy - who once served as a magistrate at a North Westminster tribunal - was arrested in a swoop by Britain's National Crime Sqaud.

He was arrested together with Andrew Warren, 53. The two were partners in the London law firm Talbott Creggy.

Creggy, together with Italian national Geraldo Gheraldini are claiming to have transferred substantial amounts of money to Spiteri, and asked the Maltese police to prosecute Spiteri for misappropriation.

The case, initiated in 2005, included the hearing of evidence by Creggy and Gheraldini, as well as other witnesses in various countries through a beaurocratic system of rogatory letters.

But while Spiteri had access to include his questions in the rogatory letters, he asked this morning to have his questions sent out to the same witnesses.

While prosecuting Inspector Angelo Gafa stressed that Spiteri had all the time to put his questions, sending out cross-examination rogatory letters would practically mean redoing the whole process from scratch.

Intervening, Magistrate Micallef Trigona informed lawyer Chris Cardona who appeared for Spiteri, that he was inclined to refuse such a request as it was now becoming "too much".

Micallef Trigona said that Spiteri's case has been before him since 2005, and that it was high time that the case sees some conclusion.

While summoning Lorraine Bonello Ghio to the witness stand, to explain that she was Patrick Spiteri's secretary and human resources manager between 1996 and 2000, the prosecution concluded its evidence.

Before adjourning the sitting to October 6, Spiteri declared that he was opting for his case to be decided by the Magistrates Court rather than be tried by jury.