Accused ‘can speak to partner in law firm’

Former Police Inspector and lawyer David Gatt is now able to speak to his law firm partner Chris Cardona following a request by his lawyers for a variation in his bail conditions.

Dr Gatt had requested that he be granted permission to speak to Dr Cardona, with whom he has been working for the past four years, before he was charged with being the mastermind of some of the most daring heists Malta has ever seen.

The two have a number of pending cases in which they are both appearing for their clients.

One of the conditions binding Dr Gatt when he was granted bail was that he must not speak to any witnesses brought by the prosecution, which included Dr Cardona.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona upheld the request and granted him permission to speak to Dr Cardona.

On December 7, Dr Gatt was charged in connection with the hold-up of the Balzan HSBC branch in 2007, the attempted hold-up of the HSBC depot in Qormi at the end of June, the attempted hold-up on jeweller Michael Mizzi in Attard in November and the attempted hold-up of a bank security van in Sta Venera last January.

The case continues.