Extradited lawyer Patrick Spiteri seeks bail, says prison is terrible for his health

Patrick Spiteri, a former lawyer extradited to Malta to face criminal proceedings on charges of fraud of some 7million euro, misappropriation of funds and falsification of documents, today told a court that he had been undergoing medical treatment in the UK and had not been trying to escape the hand of justice. Taking the witness stand to testify on his application for bail, the disbarred lawyer explained how between 2008 and 2013, before his health problems, he had attended 80% of the sittings even though at the time he had been residing abroad. “When I failed to appear in the earlier sittings it was because I hadn't been notified. Other times I was abroad “When I failed to appear in the earlier sittings it was because I hadn't been notified. Other times I was abroad on work and had advised the prosecution and judge Edwina Grima had always understood,” he insisted. After undergoing medical tests in Malta and Italy, Dr Spiteri said he had finally sought treatment in the UK where throughout 2014 he spent most of his time at the Macmillan Cancer Centre. He was finally diagnosed as suffering from Behcet’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes neurological damage, genital,...