And now the ultimate ignominy for a former judge: being branded a manipulative perjurer by another judge
I'll kiss this thing and perjure myself, then go to confession in Manchester
I wouldn’t have called it a “prudent” move, but a cunning one. But anyway, the meaning is clear: the judge is saying that Noel Arrigo is a liar, that he was a liar then and that he is a liar now. And if he lied under oath, that makes him a perjurer.
So much for the theology courses, the rosary rings in court, the priests, Lourdes and the three confessors: Noel Arrigo kissed that crucifix and lied under oath.
Where are his character witnesses now, with their values and principles?
In The Times today:
Mr Justice Caruana Demajo referred to Dr Arrigo’s testimony where he said he repeatedly refused to take the money: “This was a tactical move, a prudent move, so that whoever made the offer would say that the accused did not want the money.” If he really wanted to refuse the offer then he would have closed and locked the door to dangerous proposals such as these.
The judge referred to the testimony of middleman and a childhood friend of Dr Arrigo, Anthony Grech Sant, who said that on the day the judgment was delivered he went to the offices of Dr Arrigo’s private company and put the money on a desk. Mr Grech Sant said that after doing so the two spoke to each other as if nothing had happened. This contrasted with Dr Arrigo’s testimony, where he told the court that he was “flabbergasted” and did not know what to do.
The court questioned Dr Arrigo’s version, saying that since the offer had already been made there was no need for the accused to be flabbergasted because “payment did not come like a lightning bolt out of the blue”. The judge said he believed Mr Grech Sant’s version.
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Inevitably what you’re saying is true, by reason, and justification.
Daphne, you have first hand experience of perjury in court relating to your incident at the notorious St Julian’s police station.
[Daphne – Yes, those police officers and the woman they instructed to testify against me.]
It is heartening to see that Noel Arrigo did not fool the judge, and the latter could see through his ‘prudent move’. Likewise this same judge will not give any weight to the other tactical moves namely, wearing a rosary ring, attending a theology course and the testimony of priests who only knew the ex-judge after the crime occurred. I hate the fact that he used religion for his own ends to try and mitigate the penalty.
Maybe the confessors were like the Sisters of Mercy (Leonard Cohen song):
“…Well they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them.
They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem”.
and most appropriately:
“When you’re not feeling holy, your loneliness says that you’ve sinned.”