A jeweller, the target of a hold-up, yesterday discredited an important witness in a case against former police inspector David Gatt, by denying his allegation.

Michael Mizzi, owner of The Gold Market in Attard, took the witness stand in the case instituted by the police against Dr Gatt, who stands charged with planning a string of hold-ups. Among others, he is accused of involvement in the attempted hold-up on HSBC headquarters in June last year which was foiled in a shoot-out.

Mr Mizzi and his son Silvio were the victims of another failed hold-up last December, allegedly involving two men believed to be part of Dr Gatt’s gang.

During the proceedings, Police Constable 99, Mario Portelli, the star witness in the case, had testified that Dr Gatt had planned a revenge attack on Mr Mizzi for years, after the latter allegedly failed to give him a reward for finding a bag of money that had gone missing.

According to PC Portelli, this incident took place when Dr Gatt was a police inspector stationed at Rabat police station. Mr Mizzi yesterday testified as a witness for the defence. He denied that Dr Gatt was ever involved in this bag incident.

He recalled that between eight and 10 years ago he had left a bag on the doorstep of a house. It contained documents and little, if any, money. A woman he knew told him that she had taken the bag to the police station as she knew it belonged to him but did not know his address.

This all happened within a few minutes and Dr Gatt was never involved in any way, said Mr Mizzi. There was not even a police investigation. He added that he knew Dr Gatt from his time as a police inspector.

The case continues.

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