Police Commissioner John Rizzo said in court this morning that according to information given to the police, former Inspector David Gatt had planned vindictive attacks against Eddie Fenech Adami, Former Commissioner George Grech and others in connection with his dismissal from the police force.

Gatt had also told PC99 Portelli, who was his friend for several years, that Fabio Psaila was injured in the attempted hold-up on a jeweller at Attard but no doctor could be found for him.

The Commissioner was giving evidence in the compilation of evidence against David Gatt, who is accused of complicity in a number of hold-ups.

He confirmed that as soon as he returned from a visit abroad, the Deputy Commissioner spoke to him about PC 99 and produced the written report.

He saw the handwritten information which included Mario Portelli’s experience in the past six years with David Gatt.

He then sent for PC Portelli and asked him to again describe everything that knew. He repeated all he had in statement.

He asked him some questions to try to find out why he was speaking out now. He said he got to know most things in the past two years, he learned about things after they happened but was starting to learn of matters which had not yet happened.

He had heard of vindictive actions planned against Eddie Fenech Adami, former Commissioner Grech, Commissioner Rizzo and Attorney General Peter Grech - all relating to his dismissal from the police.

He had also mentioned the two policemen involved in the hold-up shootout (during the HSBC Qormi hold-up) and another policeman involved in a search for evidence in the area known as Tal-Patata in Marsa.

PC Porteli explained that he would have been an accomplice had he not spoken out.

He said that when Dr Fenech Adami’s presidency was about to end, he had contacted the former President and told him about this anonymously.

Mr Rizzo said the police tried to confirm some of the things which PC Portelli said. One of the things they checked out was about the last hold-up. One of people arraigned had been hit when the police fired.

The mind behind the hold-up (at HSBC) appeared to be David Gatt. Immediately after one of the thieves was hit he tried to assist him and contacted Dr John Zammit Montebello for medical attention.

The police raided the clinic and everyone was arrested, including the doctor.

The police questioned Dr Zammit Montebello and he corroborated what the police had been saying.

The doctor was asked why he hid the fact that he had been approached by Gatt.

Subsequently sworn declarations by PC99 and Dr Zammit Montebello were made before a magistrate.

Mr Rizzo said that following the hold-up on the jeweller, the police were informed by PC99 that David Gatt told him that he was involved in this and it had been in his mind since he had been an Inspector at Rabat.

He had recovered money which the jeweller, Michael Mizzi, had lost but he had not given them anything.

David Gatt told him that Fabio Psaila was also involved. PC Portelli knew Psaila well through Gatt. He told him that Psaila had been hit by shots fired by Mizzi.

The police tried to find Psaila, but had so far not succeeded.

PC99 also said that Gatt had told him they wished to find a doctor, but he only told him that he knew a nurse.

The police then decided to arrest David Gatt and he was picked up at the law courts.

Inspector Michael Mallia then presented the court with four tapes of recording involving David Gatt, made on December 6 and 7, a mobile phone which belonged to PC99 and photos of the accused, Fabio Psaila and Darren Debono.

Assistant Commissioner Pierre Calleja told the court that the Commissioner sent for him and told him what PC 99 had revealed. He asked him to investigate.

On December 6 David Gatt was arrested and he interrogated him. Most times, Gatt denied everything or refused to speak.

PC1521 Thomas Axiaq from the police Photography Forensics section told the court that he had downloaded footage from CCTV of St Anne’s Clinic in Birkirkara and Smuggler’s Bar.

See separate story on evidence by the Deputy Police Commissioner.