Franco Debono was Josette Bickle’s lawyer

Published: January 20, 2012 at 11:55am

Isn’t one of Franco’s latest bandwagon complaints the x’arukaza Bickle situation at the prisons, which – he would have us believe – would not have happened had he been justice minister instead of Ugo Mifud Bonnici’s oligarch offspring?

Well, surprise. It turns out that Franco was Josette Bickle’s lawyer.

The Malta Independent, 3 November 2006

The Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday annulled a judgement handed down by a magistrates’ Court against a woman after the court, in its judgement, did not follow the procedures according to the law.

Josette Bickle, a 33-year-old Valletta woman was jailed for two years and fined Lm1,500 after she was found guilty of heroin and cocaine possession and trafficking.

Ms Bickle, through her lawyer Franco Debono, appealed the judgement claiming that the magistrate did not follow the right procedure according to law in handing down his judgement.

The Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, upheld this appeal since the magistrate did not follow what is laid down is article 382 of the Criminal Code.

This article states that: “The court, in delivering judgment against the accused, shall state the facts of which he has been found guilty, shall award punishment and shall quote the article of this Code or of any other law creating the offence.”

In view of these missing article, Mr Justice Galea Debono declared the judgement as null and sent the case file back to the Magistrates’ Court to deliver its judgement according to law. Police inspectors Nezren Grixti and Ramon Mercieca prosecuted while Dr Franco Debono appeared for the accused.




9 Comments Comment

  1. Vanni says:

    Heqq, we all have to earn a bicca hobz, ma tafx int?

  2. aston says:

    We all know what Franco’s answer would be:-

    “Kullhadd irid jiekol”

  3. catsrbest says:

    It would be interesting to know who was the magistrate who ‘did not follow the procedures according to law’ in handing down judgement.

  4. P Shaw says:

    Can anyone imagine the nightmare the police would go through if France Debono was present during police interrogation? I understand this is what he is asking for. He will interrupt the interrogating officers every few seconds, then make a grand and public scene if disciplined.

  5. TROY says:

    Bickle and Debono. Who’s the cock and who’s the chicken?

  6. Agius says:

    Heqq, inkella jekk ma jiddefendix lil klijenti bhal dawk, kif tridu jkollu villa tas-Silg ghal gost?

  7. Xejn sew says:

    Last Wednesday morning I was driving along the by-pass from Hal Ghaxaq towards Valletta. At the traffic lights, I looked sideways and saw Franco Debono sitting in his car.

    So I decided to play a little game with the intellectual giant. I caught his eye (he was looking around and fidgeting, probably to check if any one was admiring him) and pressed heavily on the accelerator of the banger I was driving, as amateur racers are wont to do.

    True to form, he went green, sneered and gripped his BMW steering-wheel as if he was strangling a snake.

    As soon as the lights turned to green, he gunned it and rocketed into the horizon, never to be seen again.

    Hilarious.

    • ciccio says:

      Truly hilarious, thanks for sharing. Well, it’s good to hear that he waited for the green light on that road. In his political behaviour, he is not observing any of the political red lights.

Leave a Comment