It wasn't me, says man accused of car theft

The trial by jury of a man accused of stealing a car and its contents got under way yesterday with the accused categorically denying his involvement and pointing a finger at two other men.

Alfred Bugeja, 53, of Valletta, allegedly stole a Toyota Hilux from in front of an ironmongery shop in Naxxar on May 15, 2006 at around 4.30 p.m. The vehicle had been left there by Raymond Pirotta with the engine running and the keys in the ignition.

The van contained a shot gun, ammunition and €35 in cash, Police Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi testified yesterday.

Shortly after the theft, police officers happened to be driving behind a car with three men in it who were acting suspiciously. They ordered them to pull over to one side near the Mekkek Bar in San Ġwann. The men were Mr Bugeja, Malcolm Mifsud and Luke Farrugia.

One of the officers noticed a shotgun under Mr Bugeja's feet and since all police mobile units had been alerted to the theft of the Hilux and that it contained a gun, he asked the men about the shotgun.

Mr Mifsud replied that he had found the gun near a skip in the fields in San Ġwann, the inspector said.

When he spoke to Mr Bugeja, the accused told him that he had been given a lift by the two men and had gone to buy spare parts for his car at a dealer near Mekkek Bar.

Mr Bugeja, however, did not answer most of the questions put to him by the police and, in his statement, denied his involvement in the theft or knowledge of the gun.

After the police statement was taken, Mr Bugeja asked to speak to the inspector and told him where the stolen vehicle could be found, the inspector said.

Taking the witness stand yesterday, Mr Bugeja said that on the day in question he had caught a bus from Valletta to Sliema to go to his mechanic as his car had been taken in for repairs.

On the way, at around 3.30 p.m., he met the other two men who offered him a lift and he stayed with them until 5 p.m., when the officers stopped them in San Ġwann.

Mr Bugeja said that as they drove through San Ġwann, he asked the men to pull over so that he could use the toilet and once done he returned to find them removing items from a van.

He added that they put the gun in the car and they all left.

The trial, presided over by Chief Justice Vincent de Gaetano, continues.

Lawyer Jason Grima from the Attorney General's office is prosecuting. Lawyer Malcolm Mifsud appeared as legal aid for Mr Bugeja.