Accused collapses in dock and rushed to hospital, as jury reads out guilty verdict

Joseph Vella, 54 of Victoria, Gozo collapsed in the dock as the Chief Juror started reading the verdict against him and co-accused Philip Azzopardi, 67 of Birkirkara.

He was given first aid by a policeman and court marshalls, and was later rushed by ambulance to Mater Dei Hospital.

Philip Azzopardi, a hotel owner, and Joseph Vella, a company director, were standing trial this week, charged of trafficking illegal immigrants and harbouring them, assisting in their escape and providing the means of their escape from Malta.

Jurors were deliberating since Friday evening and reached a verdict yesterday night.

The court was suspended and deferred to hear submissions on punishment next Tuesday.

Azzopardi and Vella have denied all the charges and any involvement in migrant trafficking.

Both were arrested in August 2003 following investigations into the escape of a number of illegal immigrants held in detention at the Police Headquarters in Floriana.

Following their re-capture, the immigrants told the police they had hidden at the Xemxija Bay Hotel. Police searched the hotel where they found another two of the escaped immigrants.

Eight of the immigrants also told investigators about their escape and said that once they got out of the Police Headquarters gate, they met a man called ‘David’ near the Phoenicia Hotel in Floriana.

David allegedly called Philip Azzopardi from a nearby phone booth and soon after arrived in a car and drove the immigrants away in several trips. Four of the immigrants said Azzopardi took them to the Xemxija Bay Hotel, while three others said he took them to a garage and another man said he took him to a house.

The four men later said that some time later Philip Azzopardi picked them up and took them to a guest house in Gozo.

Later, they were picked up by a van belonging to another man, identified as Francis Xerri, who was co-accused Joseph Vella’s friend, and were driven to a boat where a man and a woman were waiting.

Back in Malta they were driven in a van and intercepted by police in Bahar ic-Caghaq.

During investigations, police established that Philip was paid hundreds of dollars by the immigrants.

Others paid Lm300 by transferring money from a bank account in Germany into Azzopardi’s bank account.