Man likely to be charged over Zejtun fatal blast

The death of a woman badly injured in a blast in Zejtun in mid-June has led the police to intensify investigations and a man is expected to be arraigned shortly, sources said yesterday.

Angela Bondin, 48, of Paola died on Friday as a result of the burns she suffered in the explosion on June 18.

Ms Bondin and Tessie Grima, 60, of Zejtun, were seriously injured when a bomb went off at about 12.45 p.m. in Triq il-Madonna tal-Hniena, Zejtun.

The police suspect the intended victim of the bomb was a woman from Cottonera who is known to visit her mother in Zejtun every day and always parks her car at the same place at the same time.

The two victims had nothing to do with the case, the police believe.

From the roof of her house, Ms Grima had noticed a person leaving a bag by a car in her street at about 10.30 a.m. She called out to the man not to leave the bag there as it was the weekend and rubbish would remain uncollected and fester. But the man ignored her.

Later in the day, Ms Grima decided to remove the bag herself but she found it too heavy to handle on her own and so called Ms Bondin, who happened to be there at the time, to help her.

The two women threw the bag in a garage under construction and as they were talking in the middle of the road an explosion occurred.

Ms Bondin suffered 40 per cent burns while Ms Grima suffered 15 per cent burns.

Police sources said the bag contained explosive material and a detonator that was operated by remote control. Inside were also a motorcycle battery and several bullets, which turned into shrapnel when the bomb went off.

The sources said the injuries sustained by the two women had not been more serious only because they were shielded by a van that took most of the impact of the blast.

But Ms Bondin, who was slightly more exposed to the blast, suffered severe burns to which she eventually succumbed.

Legal observers explained that a person found guilty of planting the bomb could face up to life imprisonment. "While in the case of a murder, the prosecution has to prove intent, in the case of a person dying through a bombing, the law is very clear that even if the person is not the intended victim, the person responsible for placing the bomb can be imprisoned for life," the observers said.

A man from Cospicua had been arrested shortly after the bomb went off on June 18 but was released as the 48-hour arrest period elapsed.