A Customs Department employee was seen on closed circuit television allowing a sealed container exit the Freeport without inspecting its contents, in breach of standard security procedure, a court heard today.

Evidence was given in the compilation of evidence against haulier Malcolm Zammit,  security officer Christopher Calleja, Sebastian Zammit, 60, from Safi and Malta Freeport employee Roderick Borg.  

They  are accused of being involved in the theft of a container from the freeport. The container was emptied of 10 million cigarettes and then returned to the freeport. The four are denying the charges.

During today’s proceedings before Magistrate Anthony Vella, the prosecution led by Inspector Carlos Cordina summoned a number of customs officers.
The court heard, how one of the witnesses, Pierre Delicata,  had been interrogated by the police as he was one of two customs officers on duty at the freeport gate, when the theft occurred. On the day he was working alongside Sebastian Zammit, one of the accused.

Mr Delicata recalled that on the day he had seen the container in question loaded on a trailer, ready to be taken out of the terminal from a particular lane dedicated to empty containers. He said he could not recall what happened next as he had to inspect the documentation of another trailer.

However, he said that when he was shown CCTV footage during interrogation, he recognised his colleague near the trailer supposedly laden with cigarettes. From this footage it also transpired that the accused had not opened the sealed trailer to inspect its contents, contrary to standard procedure.

Asked by the defence if there were occasions when they would be instructed not to make verifications on this lane, Mr Delicata denied that that was the case.  

“That would be blasphemy,” he said. He added that on certain occasions empty containers would be sealed as a precaution against illegal migration.
He also remarked that a van behind the trailer raised suspicions as it was too close to the container. He said that normally there would be enough room (from 8 to 10 feet) for the container doors to be opened for inspection, but in this case this distance was not respected.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto, who was defence counsel for Mr Zammit, referred to the testimony given earlier by another customs officer, Jerome Azzopardi. The latter had said that on the day, the accused was not supposed to be working at the Freeport but at Laboratory Wharf in Corradino.  Mr Zammit was only told at 7.30am that he should report for work at the Freeport to replace an employee who had called sick. Dr Montalto argued that it was coincidental that his client was on duty on that day, and so he could not have been part of a well-crafted plan.

Earlier Freeport operations manager Stephen Calleja, testified that on security footage shown to him by the police, he identified Roderick Borg – a Freeport employee accused in connection with this case. Mr Calleja said that the accused was seen loading a container, which was not supposed to be taken out of the terminal.

He also confirmed that a van was being driven very closely to the trailer toward the exit lane dedicated to empty cargo.

At the end of proceedings a fresh request for bail was made by the accused men, but no immediate decision was taken, with the court saying it would make announcement in due course.

The case was adjourned for September 10.

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