In this piece, we have a look at another murder, that of Renzo Borg.
Renzo Borg was described as another ‘businessman’ who was also murdered, like Raymond Agius ‘il-Maksar’ and Joe Baldacchino, after he was shot twice in cold blood in Xemxija. This time, it was a late Thursday evening, in December of 2008.
“Thirty-one-year-old Renzo Borg from Naxxar was found lying on the pavement in Triq il-Ħaġra l-Wieqfa by a man who lives nearby and who happened to hear gunshots at about 11.30 p.m., sources said.”
Mr Borg died shortly after being admitted to hospital. How was he murdered? He sustained two gunshot wounds to his head and back. So, we had Raymond Agius ‘il-Maksar’ who was shot in the head and killed. We had Joe Baldacchino who was shot in the back and killed. And we had Renzo Borg who was shot in the head and back and killed. How many coincidences do we need to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
The Times of Malta had reported that it was not clear what Mr Borg was doing in that road where he was found, “whether he was chased there or had met his assailant voluntarily.” Mr Borg lived in Naxxar. However, sources had stated that his car, a white Mazda, was parked in the same street. It was found close to his body, with a bonnet still warm, which suggested that it had not been long since it was last used. Did he have to meet his murderer there? Was his murderer someone he knew?
Mr Borg had previously owned the Strawberry Grove, a bar and restaurant in Qawra which was sold through an auction earlier during that year at a ‘quick-sale price.’ Two months before he was murdered, Renzo Borg and his business partners at the Strawberry Grove were ordered to pay under €66,000 in damages to 13-year-old Carly Borg, whose fingers were partly amputated after a stone flowerpot fell on her right hand while she was playing with friends on the restaurant’s steps eight years before. She consequently lost all functions of three fingers. The said amount had to be paid within 15 days.
It was also reported that he had a lot of unpaid debt. Back in 2005, Borg “had appeared in court for failing to pay back almost €233,000 to APS Bank for a loan he had taken earlier”. In 2004, he was charged with stealing just under €3,495 in electricity from the government to supply his bar and restaurant with electricity.
Yet again, did this murder have to deal with another drug deal gone wrong? In fact, we were told that drug dealing and usury featured high on the police list of possible motives. Moreover, “cocaine was also discovered in his car and apartment.” This, was also later confirmed in court.
So, let’s start going round the same loop, shall we?
Fast forward to 2012, and during the trial of David Gatt, former homice squad chief inspector Chris Pullicino stated that PC99 Mario Portelli had told him that David Gatt “was behind the unsolved murder of Renzo Borg in Xemxija.” Portelli alleged that Borg was murdered over a “drug deal gone bad.”
“Addressing the court, Pullicino said that he had arrested and interrogated a number of people during his investigations into the murder of Renzo Borg, but while all had been released, ‘a common denominator, which also came out of PC99’s information was present, that Borg was murdered over an alleged drug deal gone bad.'”
PC99 Mario Portelli had indicated another person involved in the murder – the so-called restaurateur from St Paul’s Bay, Raymond Abela, a person who was ‘connected’ to David Gatt.
How sharp was Daphne’s observation, when she noticed the pattern behind the series of bombings that were happening in Malta: that “the diesel smugglers are described as ‘fishermen’ or ‘restaurateurs’, and the drug smugglers are called long-distance lorry drivers or hauliers, or ‘unemployed family men’ or ‘businessmen’, though some of them are occasionally described as ‘known to the police’.”
So, by another pure coincidence, in the murder of Renzo Borg, we have Borg who is described as a ‘businessman’ and we have Raymond Abela described as a ‘restaurateur’ and who are both allegedly connected to the same village laywer and freemason David Gatt! How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
However, the restaurateur Raymond Abela, on being arrested after the order of inspector Pullicino, denied knowing or speaking to David Gatt. He also denied that he had received free drugs for free from him. But in court, he did not deny all this, so, here, something does not stand, does it?
And yet, Vince Muscat ‘il-Koħħu’ had testified that “Before he became a minister, Cardona had confided in him that Gatt (who he shared a legal office with) had hidden 300g of cocaine in their office soffit.”
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
From an investigation which was done by inspector Chris Pullicino, it was found that in Raymond Abela’s mobile phone, David Gatt was put in as Toto.
Then, in his testimony, Raymond Abela claimed that he did have the number of David Gatt saved in his phone as “Toto”, allegedy for the Corleonese mafia boss Toto Rina. When Abela was questioned this, he had replied that “it was the name Gatt had told him to write.” But, by another pure coincidence, Abela said that he “had also deleted the phone number after Gatt’s arrest, saying that he didnt’ need it anymore.”
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
“Quoting from the statement Abela had released during his interrogation, Inspector Chris Pullicino repeatedly asked questions related to Renzo Borg’s murder.”
“Abela denied any involvement in the murder, and insisted that he only knew about the murder through the media. Abela claimed to have known David Gatt for over 10 years – when he was a police inspector in Rabat – however, he could not say anything against him.”
But Abela “denied ever having greeted Gatt saying “benvenuto Zu’ Totò” and “stressed he didn’t know how to speak Italian”. But didn’t the investigation done by inspector Chris Pullicino show that Gatt was put in as Toto in Abela’s phone? Didn’t he himself testify so? So, what are the odds that he truly greeted Gatt with “benvenuto Zu’ Toto”? PC99 Mario Portelli had testified that he had witnessed Abela kissing David Gatt’s hand and telling him “salutammo zu Toto”. Abela denied this.
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
And yet, this murder is still unresolved, just like the others. And yet, these people were all ‘known to the police’. And yet, the same loop keeps going round in the same circle.
What are the odds that we have the same circle involved, which includes members of the judiciary, high officials in the police corps, criminals, David Gatt and former minister Chris Cardona, among others, protecting each other?
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
The murders of Raymond Agius ‘il-Maksar’, Renzo Borg and Joe Baldacchino (3)
In this piece, we have a look at another murder, that of Renzo Borg.
Renzo Borg was described as another ‘businessman’ who was also murdered, like Raymond Agius ‘il-Maksar’ and Joe Baldacchino, after he was shot twice in cold blood in Xemxija. This time, it was a late Thursday evening, in December of 2008.
“Thirty-one-year-old Renzo Borg from Naxxar was found lying on the pavement in Triq il-Ħaġra l-Wieqfa by a man who lives nearby and who happened to hear gunshots at about 11.30 p.m., sources said.”
Mr Borg died shortly after being admitted to hospital. How was he murdered? He sustained two gunshot wounds to his head and back. So, we had Raymond Agius ‘il-Maksar’ who was shot in the head and killed. We had Joe Baldacchino who was shot in the back and killed. And we had Renzo Borg who was shot in the head and back and killed. How many coincidences do we need to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
The Times of Malta had reported that it was not clear what Mr Borg was doing in that road where he was found, “whether he was chased there or had met his assailant voluntarily.” Mr Borg lived in Naxxar. However, sources had stated that his car, a white Mazda, was parked in the same street. It was found close to his body, with a bonnet still warm, which suggested that it had not been long since it was last used. Did he have to meet his murderer there? Was his murderer someone he knew?
Mr Borg had previously owned the Strawberry Grove, a bar and restaurant in Qawra which was sold through an auction earlier during that year at a ‘quick-sale price.’ Two months before he was murdered, Renzo Borg and his business partners at the Strawberry Grove were ordered to pay under €66,000 in damages to 13-year-old Carly Borg, whose fingers were partly amputated after a stone flowerpot fell on her right hand while she was playing with friends on the restaurant’s steps eight years before. She consequently lost all functions of three fingers. The said amount had to be paid within 15 days.
It was also reported that he had a lot of unpaid debt. Back in 2005, Borg “had appeared in court for failing to pay back almost €233,000 to APS Bank for a loan he had taken earlier”. In 2004, he was charged with stealing just under €3,495 in electricity from the government to supply his bar and restaurant with electricity.
Yet again, did this murder have to deal with another drug deal gone wrong? In fact, we were told that drug dealing and usury featured high on the police list of possible motives. Moreover, “cocaine was also discovered in his car and apartment.” This, was also later confirmed in court.
So, let’s start going round the same loop, shall we?
Fast forward to 2012, and during the trial of David Gatt, former homice squad chief inspector Chris Pullicino stated that PC99 Mario Portelli had told him that David Gatt “was behind the unsolved murder of Renzo Borg in Xemxija.” Portelli alleged that Borg was murdered over a “drug deal gone bad.”
“Addressing the court, Pullicino said that he had arrested and interrogated a number of people during his investigations into the murder of Renzo Borg, but while all had been released, ‘a common denominator, which also came out of PC99’s information was present, that Borg was murdered over an alleged drug deal gone bad.'”
PC99 Mario Portelli had indicated another person involved in the murder – the so-called restaurateur from St Paul’s Bay, Raymond Abela, a person who was ‘connected’ to David Gatt.
How sharp was Daphne’s observation, when she noticed the pattern behind the series of bombings that were happening in Malta: that “the diesel smugglers are described as ‘fishermen’ or ‘restaurateurs’, and the drug smugglers are called long-distance lorry drivers or hauliers, or ‘unemployed family men’ or ‘businessmen’, though some of them are occasionally described as ‘known to the police’.”
So, by another pure coincidence, in the murder of Renzo Borg, we have Borg who is described as a ‘businessman’ and we have Raymond Abela described as a ‘restaurateur’ and who are both allegedly connected to the same village laywer and freemason David Gatt! How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
However, the restaurateur Raymond Abela, on being arrested after the order of inspector Pullicino, denied knowing or speaking to David Gatt. He also denied that he had received free drugs for free from him. But in court, he did not deny all this, so, here, something does not stand, does it?
And yet, Vince Muscat ‘il-Koħħu’ had testified that “Before he became a minister, Cardona had confided in him that Gatt (who he shared a legal office with) had hidden 300g of cocaine in their office soffit.”
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
From an investigation which was done by inspector Chris Pullicino, it was found that in Raymond Abela’s mobile phone, David Gatt was put in as Toto.
Then, in his testimony, Raymond Abela claimed that he did have the number of David Gatt saved in his phone as “Toto”, allegedy for the Corleonese mafia boss Toto Rina. When Abela was questioned this, he had replied that “it was the name Gatt had told him to write.” But, by another pure coincidence, Abela said that he “had also deleted the phone number after Gatt’s arrest, saying that he didnt’ need it anymore.”
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
“Quoting from the statement Abela had released during his interrogation, Inspector Chris Pullicino repeatedly asked questions related to Renzo Borg’s murder.”
“Abela denied any involvement in the murder, and insisted that he only knew about the murder through the media. Abela claimed to have known David Gatt for over 10 years – when he was a police inspector in Rabat – however, he could not say anything against him.”
But Abela “denied ever having greeted Gatt saying “benvenuto Zu’ Totò” and “stressed he didn’t know how to speak Italian”. But didn’t the investigation done by inspector Chris Pullicino show that Gatt was put in as Toto in Abela’s phone? Didn’t he himself testify so? So, what are the odds that he truly greeted Gatt with “benvenuto Zu’ Toto”? PC99 Mario Portelli had testified that he had witnessed Abela kissing David Gatt’s hand and telling him “salutammo zu Toto”. Abela denied this.
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?
And yet, this murder is still unresolved, just like the others. And yet, these people were all ‘known to the police’. And yet, the same loop keeps going round in the same circle.
What are the odds that we have the same circle involved, which includes members of the judiciary, high officials in the police corps, criminals, David Gatt and former minister Chris Cardona, among others, protecting each other?
How many coincidences do we have to add until it becomes mathematically impossible?