There have been significant developments in the case following the passing of a new law related to extradition by the Government.
Initially, Meli, represented by his lawyer Nationalist Deputy Joe Giglio, had accepted the request from the American Court for his extradition. However, the potential sentence of life in prison in the US came as a shock to his parents, who were under a different impression from Dr. Joe Giglio. Meli faces charges related to the misuse of information technology, selling illegal malware on the dark web, and providing services on ‘Hack Forum’.
Despite his initial consent to extradition, his new lawyers, Arthur Azzopardi and Franco Debono, have argued that he was not in a state of good mental health at the time of his decision. The defense successfully applied for the annulment of a statement made during the extradition proceedings before the Magistrates’ Court, a decision that was upheld by the Court of Criminal Appeal.
These recent developments underscore the complexities of the case and the critical role of legal representation in such matters. The defense team is confident in their arguments and is prepared to vigorously defend Meli’s rights in the upcoming hearing.