Franco’s weapon of mass destruction: his Crackberry

It's Franco Debono. He wants to know whether we're with Melita or Go, and if we're interested in their new home internet packages.

The Times, 5 September 2011

A Magistrate said today that she would not tolerate ‘unacceptable behaviour’ from lawyer Franco Debono after he phoned her while she was presiding a court sitting.

Magistrate Clare Stafrace Zammit was considering a point raised by Dr Debono last week about whether court proceedings recorded by digital means were according to law, when she was informed that Dr Debono could not attend the sitting since he was sick. Immediately after, she was told that he was on the phone.

The Magistrate told the Deputy Registrar that Dr Debono should not expect her to interrupt a court sitting to speak to him on the phone, and this was unacceptable behaviour.

(…)

FRANCO DEBONO REACTS

Dr Debono in a reaction, told timesofmalta.com that he never asked to speak to the Magistrate and had phoned the Deputy Registrar to confirm that he was sick at home.

Dr Debono explained that when he fell ill, he asked Dr Charmaine Cherrett to inform the Court that he was sick and ask for an adjournment. Notwithstanding, the Magistrate proceeded to hear the witness. When Dr Cherrett informed him that the hearing was still continuing, he phoned the Court and asked to speak to the Deputy Registrar so that she could confirm that he was sick at home.

“At no point in time did I ask to speak to the Magistrate” Dr Debono insisted. He added that the continuation of the court case was “unacceptable”.

Every accused had the constitutional right to have his lawyer present at all times during a trial, he said.

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Isn’t Charmaine Cherrett his sidekick?