Alleged thief's prints found on bag covering paintings

Fingerprints matching those of Ian Farrugia were found on a bag that was covering the paintings stolen from Judge Giovanni Bonello's house in Valletta, a court heard yesterday.

Farrugia stands charged with aggravated theft of 30 paintings from Judge Bonello's house. The paintings included one attributed to Caravaggio.

Inspectors Michael Mallia and Geoffrey Cilia testified that a bag was covering the paintings the police found in a narrow space between two walls in a garage in Canon Pirotta Street, Birkirkara on April 28.

It resulted that the bag was the one in which a brand new ladder used by the thieves, and found in the basement of Judge Bonello's house, had been originally wrapped in when it was sold by a Mosta ironmongery sometime before the theft took place, the court heard.

Fingerprint expert Nathalie Zahra testified that she had seen the original fingerprints of the bag and confirmed these were the same ones as those the police had photographed. She had then compared the photographs to Farrugia's fingerprints and it resulted that one of the fingerprints was identical to Farrugia's left ring finger while another fingerprint matched the accused's middle right-hand finger.

As Inspector Mallia was testifying, giving an overview of police investigations, defence counsel Dr Edward Gatt raised an objection and argued that the police could not refer to what a co-accused had said about his client once the case against the co-accused was still pending.

The court upheld the objection and the police continued giving evidence without making references to what Josef Portelli, a person in whose possession the police allegedly found the paintings, had told them.

Inspector Mallia recounted that the police received information about where the paintings were hidden and mounted a surveillance operation that started at 7 p.m. on April 26, finally arresting Portelli at 2 a.m. on April 27.

The inspector said Portelli had postponed returning home on learning that the police were waiting for him. He had met Farrugia, Charles Falzon and his brother Dennis and they drew up a plan of how to dispose of the Caravaggio if the police left. The plans were drawn up at Farrugia's flat in Bugibba.

Portelli eventually decided to go home just the same but only after heeding Farrugia's advice to destroy his mobile phone so that the police would be unable to trace any calls he had made.

Searches were then made in the house and his two garages and the paintings were eventually found. The police claim that Portelli had told them that the theft was committed by the three people he had mentioned to them and he had realised the paintings were stolen after he read about the theft some three weeks after they were placed in his garage by his brother.

The police stated Portelli said he had told his brother to remove them from his property as he did not want any trouble.

The case continues.

Inspectors Michael Mallia and Geoffrey Azzopardi prosecuted.

Dr Edward Gatt appeared for Farrugia.