Suspended police officer Ian Grech (photo: Facebook) faces a possible nine years imprisonment for soliciting bribes
Karl Stagno-Navarra
A suspended police officer was accused in court on Monday of having solicited, and received, bribes to waive a traffic contravention.
Ian Grech, 37 of Marsascala, faced the forces' most senior officials, who testified against him on Monday, recounting details on how an under-cover operation caught him receiving bribes while on duty.
If found guilty, he faces nine years imprisonment for allegedly asking for and accepting €700 in bribes while on duty, and relapsing.
Investigations also revealed that Grech had joined the police force despite having a criminal record: having earlier been found guilty for illegally possessing a fire arm.
Grech - who worked for the police traffic section - was caught red handed as he went to a private residence to collect the remaining €200 of a three part bribe, which he allegedly solicited to 'delete' a contravention he had given to a farmer for driving his tractor without any insurance cover.
Faced by damning evidence which included marked bank notes and surveillance footage, Grech had initially admitted his wrongdoing when questioned by the police, though he is currently denying the charges in court.
Magistrate Doreen Clarke heard officials from Internal Investigations, Intelligence Services and administration testify how they had cornered the accused and found him in possession of bank notes which happened been marked, explaining that their serial details matched those which had just been given to him as a bribe.
Sitting in the dock with his hands crossed, Grech heard his superior officers testify that how undercover colleagues had planted a camera opposite the house, after having been tipped off that he [Grech] was meant to go there and collect the third tranche of a previously requested bribe.
Internal Affairs and Intelligence Services were activated by orders of Police Commissioner John Rizzo, who was alerted to the bribe by a tip-off.
Grech had been nailed by Paul Bonavia, a retired Sergeant in the British forces who happened to hear his brother Jimmy when he received a phone call, which asked him for more money to have their matter 'settled'.
Jimmy had told his brother Paul that a policeman kept asking him for money after stopping him earlier in the day, and it transpired that he had gone to the police garage and was asked for what he had in his wallet, and later to withdraw money from the bank. That same day, Grech had called him to ask him for €200.
"Listen I need another €200, but don't worry if it's a problem..." Grech allegedly told Bonavia over the phone. But enticed by his elder brother Paul, the policeman was lured to their house to collect the money as the four €50 bank notes were invisibly marked and their serial numbers noted.
Paul Bonavia alerted the police, who took immediate steps to monitor Ian Grech, and shadowed him for hours.
A surveillance camera placed opposite Bonavia's residence and shown in the courtroom, showed Ian Grech leaving his home, riding his private motorbike, driving off and arriving at the Bonavia residence. He was greeted by Jimmy Bonavia in the street and then entered the home and left a short while after.
The policeman was later arrested and found to be in possession of at least three of the four marked bank notes.
Bonavia had also confirmed the identity of the policeman.
Court has meanwhile been adjourned for another sitting later this month for Paul Bonavia to give evidence.
This article was published in MaltaToday's Midweek edition.