The star witness in David Gatt’s trial was PC99 Mario Portelli. Portelli was not just a mere colleague of Gatt when both worked in the police force. As I wrote in another blog, according to information which reached this site, when David Gatt was an inspector at the Rabat Police Station, Gatt also happened to be at the mobile squad where Portelli worked because Gatt happened to be a close friend of Portelli’s mobile squad’s inspector, the back then inspector Silvio Valletta.
Mario Portelli used to often go out with David Gatt, as was also reported by local media portals. But, according to information that has reached this site, Gatt is also a cousin of Portelli’s cousin – like a second cousin [sekonda kuġin]. So, there was quite a good friendship and element of mutual trust, don’t you think?
So, dear readers, what do you make of the revealed allegations that Portelli had made about David Gatt?
During the trial, it was the turn of the deputy police commissioner Joseph Cachia to testify. Mr Cachia had “said that he had been approved by PC99 Mario Portelli who told him he had some information to give him.”
Mario Portelli had told Joseph Cachia that “in the past few years he was a friend of David Gatt and got to know of Gatt’s involvement in a number of serious crimes.”
When Cachia asked “PC Portelli if he was involved in any of them”, Mario Portelli had told him that it was not the case and when he was asked why was it that he was speaking about them now, Mario Portelli had replied “that along the years, he always got to know after the events took place but he was afraid that he could start learning beforehand and would not be able to do anything to stop the crimes, making him responsible.”
When Cachia asked Portelli “if there was anything that required immediate intervention, the policeman did not know of anything.”
“When the policeman started mentioning hold-ups, the Deputy Commissioner asked him to put everything down in writing.”
Portelli “then produced a six-page report describing how he met David Gatt, how they became friends.”
“He said that once Gatt had performed an initiation rite on him, burning a holy picture and taking blood from his finger.”
“He then went on to describe serious crimes, including the Balzan HSBC hold-up in 2007.”
“PC 99 said that Gatt had spoken to him about the case and told him that he had been asked to give advice. He had told those involved to place some hair at the scene of the crime, to mislead investigators.”
“Later, David Gatt told him after the attempted hold-up on an HSBC security van in Sta Venera and the HSBC depot attempted hold-up.”
“Gatt appeared frustrated about the latter. He had allegedly been working on it for five months and had inside information from a bank employee. Had the hold-up been successful would have become a millionaire.”
“Mr Cachia then said that he informed the Commissioner as soon as he returned who then spoke to Mario Portelli, who recounted what was in the report.”
“Duty Magistrate Giovanni Grixti was informed and launched an inquiry on all serious crimes mentioned by PC99.”
“The Deputy Commissioner referred to the recent attempted hold-up on a jeweller in Attard. He said that on the following day, PC99 contacted him and told him that Gatt had contacted him where he sounded angry that the hold-up was foiled.”
“He told him he knew the jeweller, Michael Mizzi since he was stationed at Rabat.”
Malta is so small. Same David Gatt. Same village lawyer. Dubbed by the media as the ‘mafia don’. Initiation rite. So much detailed information. So many testimonies. So many policemen testifying.
And yet David Gatt was acquitted from our courts and the mind continues to boggle.
The Trial of David Gatt – the Testimony of the Deputy Commissioner Joseph Cachia
The star witness in David Gatt’s trial was PC99 Mario Portelli. Portelli was not just a mere colleague of Gatt when both worked in the police force. As I wrote in another blog, according to information which reached this site, when David Gatt was an inspector at the Rabat Police Station, Gatt also happened to be at the mobile squad where Portelli worked because Gatt happened to be a close friend of Portelli’s mobile squad’s inspector, the back then inspector Silvio Valletta.
Mario Portelli used to often go out with David Gatt, as was also reported by local media portals. But, according to information that has reached this site, Gatt is also a cousin of Portelli’s cousin – like a second cousin [sekonda kuġin]. So, there was quite a good friendship and element of mutual trust, don’t you think?
So, dear readers, what do you make of the revealed allegations that Portelli had made about David Gatt?
During the trial, it was the turn of the deputy police commissioner Joseph Cachia to testify. Mr Cachia had “said that he had been approved by PC99 Mario Portelli who told him he had some information to give him.”
Mario Portelli had told Joseph Cachia that “in the past few years he was a friend of David Gatt and got to know of Gatt’s involvement in a number of serious crimes.”
When Cachia asked “PC Portelli if he was involved in any of them”, Mario Portelli had told him that it was not the case and when he was asked why was it that he was speaking about them now, Mario Portelli had replied “that along the years, he always got to know after the events took place but he was afraid that he could start learning beforehand and would not be able to do anything to stop the crimes, making him responsible.”
When Cachia asked Portelli “if there was anything that required immediate intervention, the policeman did not know of anything.”
“When the policeman started mentioning hold-ups, the Deputy Commissioner asked him to put everything down in writing.”
Portelli “then produced a six-page report describing how he met David Gatt, how they became friends.”
“He said that once Gatt had performed an initiation rite on him, burning a holy picture and taking blood from his finger.”
“He then went on to describe serious crimes, including the Balzan HSBC hold-up in 2007.”
“PC 99 said that Gatt had spoken to him about the case and told him that he had been asked to give advice. He had told those involved to place some hair at the scene of the crime, to mislead investigators.”
“Later, David Gatt told him after the attempted hold-up on an HSBC security van in Sta Venera and the HSBC depot attempted hold-up.”
“Gatt appeared frustrated about the latter. He had allegedly been working on it for five months and had inside information from a bank employee. Had the hold-up been successful would have become a millionaire.”
“Mr Cachia then said that he informed the Commissioner as soon as he returned who then spoke to Mario Portelli, who recounted what was in the report.”
“Duty Magistrate Giovanni Grixti was informed and launched an inquiry on all serious crimes mentioned by PC99.”
“The Deputy Commissioner referred to the recent attempted hold-up on a jeweller in Attard. He said that on the following day, PC99 contacted him and told him that Gatt had contacted him where he sounded angry that the hold-up was foiled.”
“He told him he knew the jeweller, Michael Mizzi since he was stationed at Rabat.”
Malta is so small. Same David Gatt. Same village lawyer. Dubbed by the media as the ‘mafia don’. Initiation rite. So much detailed information. So many testimonies. So many policemen testifying.
And yet David Gatt was acquitted from our courts and the mind continues to boggle.