The magisterial inquiry into the untimely death of Gunner Matthew Psaila has been concluded by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera and sent to the Attorney General's office.
The 19-year-old died in the early hours of February 16 after succumbing to injuries he sustained during a military exercise at Chadwick Lakes. Three days earlier he had been pulled out of the water unconscious after spending some 10 minutes submerged and 20 more without a pulse in the ambulance.
It is believed that, among other things, the inquiry found that other soldiers from C Company, who were training with Gunner Psaila, had also found themselves in difficulty and required treatment.
The magisterial inquiry is just one of three formal investigations delving into the circumstances leading to the death: one is the army's internal military inquiry while Judge Victor Caruana Colombo was appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister to examine all aspects of C Company's operation.
The incident happened at about 10.30 a.m. on February 13 when a team of nine soldiers from C Company, the army's quick reaction force, were undergoing teamwork training, carrying logs and surmounting land and water obstacles.
The soldiers, with their faces painted, were in full gear, each carrying a backpack weighing about 20 kilograms and a rifle. The team had to wade against the current and go under a bridge beneath a two-way road.
The family said they believed some panic must have ensued when the soldiers were about to go under the bridge, and that was when Gunner Psaila ended up underwater.
It had also been reported that three soldiers, including Gunner Psaila, found themselves in difficulty and went under. When the supervising soldiers realised this they jumped in to help but, according to unconfirmed reports, nobody seemed to have realised Gunner Psaila was submerged under the bridge.
Army head Brigadier Carmel Vassallo had later confirmed others had also experienced difficulties.
Gunner Psaila could not swim, and this had raised the question as to whether his commanding officer was informed of this fact or not. It was later established that, to enlist with C Company, being able to swim was not a prerequisite.
The young man enlisted with the army on March 17, 2008 and in November he was in the passing-out parade, which meant he qualified as a regular soldier with the force - his dream come true. He was deemed to have the right potential and talents to serve in the elite unit.