Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco should have stepped down voluntarily - Ombudsman

Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino this morning defended his decision to send a letter to the Prime Minster and the press saying that Maltese Olympic Committee president Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco should be temporarily relieved of his judicial duties. In the letter, the  Ombudsman –  a former Chief Justice – said this should be the procedure until Dr Farrugia Sacco cleared his name over his alleged involvement in a scandal related to the sale of the Sochi Winter Olympic tickets. This morning, Dr Said Pullicino took the witness stand in the libel case instituted  against him by Justice Farrugia Sacco, who is facing an impeachment motion. "To me the IOC incident is irrelevant... I hope there is no shadow of guilt on him in the end... what is relevant to me, as Ombudsman, is the effect that this had on the public and their perception of the judiciary," he said. He insisted that it was the role of the Ombudsman to speak up if there was an issue that could impact the public's perception. He insisted that he acted in good faith. He said that it hurt him to hear allegations that he had acted maliciously and that his letter was politically motivated. At the end of the day his views were...