Assets another proof of innocence – defence

Defence lawyers of the man who allegedly styled himself as a Mafia boss, David Gatt, did not object to his assets being frozen arguing this would help prove his innocence.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Edward Gatt asked Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona to appoint a lawyer to draw up an inventory of all that Dr Gatt owned, including his past assets and the salary due to him by the police after he was dismissed from the force nine years ago.

The request was made as the prosecution produced more witnesses, seven in all, who presented reports whose results, by their own admission, had nothing to do with Dr Gatt.

The reports were requested by inquiring Magistrate Giovanni Grixti with regard to major crimes Dr Gatt stands accused of planning.

At one point after the sixth witness had testified, Dr Giglio remarked he wanted to hear witnesses who had something to say about the case instead of people presenting reports in which his client was not mentioned.

PC Mario Portelli, a star witness for the prosecution who last week was described by Dr Giglio as the “Monica Lewinski” of the case, also testified yesterday.

“Dr Gatt showed me a weapon in April or May last year and put it to my head,” he told the court. “He told me I would soon hear ‘Enter the Dragon’ but I pushed the gun away and told him to stop joking.”

PC Portelli could not explain why Dr Gatt said those words or showed him the gun.

About three weeks later – after the failed hold-up on the HSBC Qormi headquarters in June – the two met at a restaurant in Sliema and Dr Gatt said he had organised it, having planned it five months earlier, the constable said.

A contact who worked at the Qormi HSBC headquarters passed on the information Dr Gatt needed, PC Portelli said.

PC Portelli has already described Dr Gatt as having styled himself as Malta’s version of the infamous Sicilian Mafia boss Toto Riina. In a bizarre portrayal of the accused, PC Portelli described him as an obsessive character immersed in the iconography of the Cosa Nostra, to the point he would nickname members of his gang after elements of Mr Riina’s organisation.

But Dr Giglio pointed out yesterday his client had a cleaner criminal record than PC Portelli and presented a judgment in which the constable was found guilty of taking part in a fight and disobeying police orders.

PC Portelli was also convicted of another crime, Dr Giglio said.

The defence counsel agreed to a request by the prosecution made last week to freeze Dr Gatt’s assets.

Another court expert, retired Brigadier Maurice Calleja, explained ballistics tests confirmed the same shotgun had been fired in the foiled HSBC heist and in the botched hold-up on a jeweller in Attard last December. The spent cartridges lifted from the two crime scenes were tested and were fired from the same weapon, he said.

Labour MP Chris Cardona testified that Dr Gatt used to work at his legal office in Birkirkara. Although he used to see him in court, he never knew Dr Gatt was planning any hold-ups, Dr Cardona said. He presented a statement he had given to the police and said he had nothing to add to it.

Police Inspectors Michael Mallia and Joseph Mercieca prosecuted.