Bullet casings from shots fired by the Home Affairs Minister’s driver Paul Sheehan were removed from the crime scene before forensic officers arrived on the spot, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
A man, who is close to Mr Sheehan, has been interrogated on suspicion that he tampered with the crime scene and removed the shells himself. He is the same person suspected to have approached two witnesses who filmed the shooting and asked them for the footage.
However, the man has denied his involvement in both incidents and investigators do not have any conclusive evidence, this newspaper is informed.
The witnesses, a mother and a daughter, picked out the suspect in a line-up of men. But they also picked out another person who was nowhere near Tal-Qroqq on the night, therefore failing to make a positive identification.
Moreover, there are no CCTV cameras on site and no witness noticed anyone removing the casings from the site.
Mr Sheehan, the 40-year-old police constable who was seconded as a security driver with Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia, allegedly fired two shots at 30-year-old Stephen Smith’s Vauxhall car on the night of November 19. The official version is that the incident escalated following a minor traffic accident. However, questions are being raised about this too.
Mr Smith allegedly hit the mirror of the parked ministerial Mercedes on Nikol Cottoner street in Gżira, and then sped off. Mr Sheehan gave chase and managed to stop him temporarily in Wied il-Kappara Street at Tal-Qroqq. But Mr Smith took off again when Mr Sheehan emerged from his vehicle allegedly waving a gun.
It is at this point that Mr Sheehan shot at Mr Smith’s Vauxhall Insignia twice, hitting the vehicle in the rear left-hand tail light and the roof.
The chase continued but was brought to a halt in the tunnels beneath the Msida skate park when Mr Sheehan managed to drive his car in front of the Vauxhall.
The bullets found in the car were consistent with the fact that Mr Sheehan had two bullets missing from his standard issue Glock 17, which takes 17 rounds.
However, the hit-and-run story is being questioned. Investigators are looking at a possible connection between Mr Sheehan and Mr Smith that precedes the incident, sources said.
Last Wednesday, Mr Sheehan pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and was remanded in custody. However, he was hospitalised after suffering chest pains during the arraignment.
The incident has caused a political firestorm amid demands for Dr Mallia to step down, particularly after an initial statement issued by the government appeared to play down the incident and incorrectly claimed Mr Sheehan’s shots were fired in the air as a warning.
The issue was compounded by the fact that police on the night broke with procedure and loaded Mr Smith’s vehicle on to a low loader and moved it some 100 metres up the road. This led to accusations that the crime scene was tampered with before the inquiring magistrate and forensic experts had even arrived at the scene.
A panel of three retired judges has been appointed to look into the cover-up claims.
They have already spoken to several witnesses, including Dr Mallia and his chief of staff Silvio Scerri. They are expected to continue hearing evidence tomorrow.