Policeman, suspect injured in shooting

A policeman and a 27-year-old man from Fgura had a close shave in separate incidents involving criminals yesterday morning.

In the first incident, a policeman was shot in the hand as he was trying to overpower a suspect who had just sprayed pepper spray in his face at Bugibba.

In the second incident, a man who outsmarted three thieves trying to rob him was shot at several times, but the bullets grazed his pick up van and he managed to escape unhurt.

In the Bugibba incident, the police were informed that there was a break-in at Grannies, a catering establishment. Criminal Investigation Department and district police went to the scene and a man was seen near a parked car close to Ta' Fra Ben.

When the police approached, the man tried to get in the car, making the police suspect that he could have been involved in the break-in, the police said.

As the police tried to stop him, he sprayed pepper spray in one policeman's face and tried to snatch the policeman's service pistol, which went off, hitting the policeman in his hand. Another policeman shot the suspect in the leg to stop him from shooting again, the police said.

Cash stolen from Grannies was found on the scene, the police said.

Both the policeman and the suspect were hospitalised and underwent surgery.

In the second incident, George Attard was lucky to escape unhurt when three hooded thieves armed with pistols stormed out of a van, which stopped abruptly in front of him at Marsa shortly before 9 a.m.

Mr Attard had enough presence of mind to swerve to the outer lane and speed off. Seeing this, the thieves fired at least three shots at his van, which was hit with two bullets.

Police sources said the man was on his way to deposit money at the Bank of Valletta branch in Marsa and was driving down Triq Belt il-Hazna when the thieves struck.

The sources said the van, in which there were four men, was parked by the road side and swerved out as Mr Attard approached.

But fortunately for the intended victim, there was a Volkswagen Golf between him and the van, which gave him just enough time to notice the armed men, swerve and speed away.

The sources said it was clearly evident that the thieves had inside information as they were aware that the man, who works in a family-run petrol station in Fgura, was carrying a considerable sum of money following the run on petrol stations following the General Workers' Union strike over the weekend.

The thieves knew the exact route the man was going to follow to the bank and the time he was expected to deposit the money.

Apart from the four men in the van, the police do not rule out the possibility of other accomplices who may have tailed him and informed the thieves in the van that the man had left the petrol station and was approaching the spot where the thieves were waiting to pounce.

The thieves used a Toyota Liteace van. A similar van was reported stolen recently.

Brigadier Maurice Calleja was appointed as ballistics expert to assist in the inquiry.

CID Inspectors Carmelo Bartolo and Charles Magri are leading investigations.