VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Former Labour Party general secretary Jimmy Magro has had a four-year and eight-month prison sentence confirmed by the Court of Appeal, bringing a definitive close to one of Malta’s most high-profile corruption cases.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera, marks the first case in Malta’s modern political history in which a senior party official will serve prison time over corruption linked to EU-funded projects.
Magro, who served as Labour Party general secretary for 12 years until 2003, was found guilty of soliciting kickbacks and attempting to influence a public tender involving €250,000 in European Union funds for waste collection equipment.
The court upheld findings that, while acting as a consultant to the Local Councils Association and project leader on the tender, Magro sought personal financial gain in exchange for steering the contract.
Evidence presented included email exchanges and testimony from bidder Victor Bonello, who refused to pay €25,000 as requested by Magro and reported the incident to authorities.
Although no payment was ultimately made, the court ruled that the solicitation itself constituted a serious abuse of public trust.
Magro had argued on appeal that he was not a public official and that evidence against him was insufficient, but the court rejected these claims, affirming that his role placed him under strict obligations governing public and EU funds.
The judgment stressed that his actions risked damaging Malta’s credibility with the European Union and undermined the integrity of the tendering process.
In addition to the prison term, Magro has been permanently barred from holding public office.
The ruling confirms an earlier conviction handed down in April last year and ends Magro’s legal challenge in full.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
