Robert Aquilina cleared as wife withdraws case, citing political smear campaign

The Family Court has dropped domestic violence proceedings against prominent anti-corruption campaigner Robert Aquilina after his wife, Jeanette Aquilina, issued a strong appeal describing the case as a politically motivated campaign against her husband.

The decision was delivered by Magistrate Lara Lanfranco, who accepted Mrs Aquilina’s declaration that she wished to withdraw the complaint, stating that her words to the police had been “exploited and manipulated” for a campaign of “character assassination”.

“I declare that I do not want to be, and will not be, a participant in the persecution of my husband Robert,” she told the Family Court.

She stressed that the incident on 30 May had involved no physical violence and arose from a heated verbal exchange under the strain of her husband’s public role. A police officer stationed outside the couple’s home heard the disturbance, prompting police involvement. Mr Aquilina was later questioned at the Floriana headquarters but maintained his innocence throughout.

In her submission, Mrs Aquilina referred to police leaks to media outlets affiliated with Malta’s governing Labour Party, which she accused of distorting the facts. She wrote: “What I said to the police is being exploited and manipulated for the persecution and character assassination of my husband Robert.”

She also emphasised the couple’s desire to move on privately for the sake of their three children.

Despite a late intervention from the Police Commissioner requesting that further witnesses be heard, the court deemed such proceedings unnecessary and “contrary to the spirit of the law”, affirming that Mrs Aquilina’s statement had been made voluntarily and in good faith.

The case took on a wider political dimension when lawyer and activist Lara Dimitrijevic, founder of the Women’s Rights Foundation, publicly criticised the magistrate’s decision not to arrest Robert Aquilina.

While Dimitrijevic is a known voice in gender rights advocacy, her political connections have not gone unnoticed. She is the sister of Alex Sciberras, the Labour Party President, and daughter of former Labour MP and judge Philip Sciberras.

Critics of her remarks argue that her interventions have contributed to what Mrs Aquilina characterised as a politically charged smear campaign targeting her husband, a vocal critic of government corruption.

Robert Aquilina had previously resigned from Repubblika and suspended his positions within Fondazione Falcone in the wake of the controversy, citing the need to safeguard the credibility of the organisations.

The court, meanwhile, affirmed its belief that Mrs Aquilina’s renunciation was genuine. “The court believes this renunciation was made in the best interests of the complainant and her children,” the magistrate concluded.