Zammit mum over Gaffarena association and son’s role in murder prosecution

Former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit has declined comment on serious allegations concerning his family’s business connections with company owner Joe Gaffarena, and his son Daniel Zammit’s role as a prosecutor in the murder charges of Gaffarena’s son-in-law.

“No… I have nothing to say,” Zammit told MaltaToday repeatedly when asked whether he had any comment on serious allegations over his family’s association with the Gaffarena family, and doubts over his son’s role as co-prosecutor in the murder charges against Stephen Caruana.

Daniel Zammit’s name rose to prominence earlier this week when the police inspector was medically ‘boarded out’ of the police corps within four days of making his request, and then drafted into a €60,000 position within Enemalta’s internal audit division.

Up until this year he had been prosecuting people – 25 in total – charged with bribing Enemalta technicians to hack their smart meters, a bust originally carried out by Enemalta’s internal audit.

His new post was instantly terminated this week by energy minister Konrad Mizzi, as the majority shareholder of Enemalta plc.

But in posts by blogger and Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, it was revealed Wednesday that Zammit’s mother Jane Zammit is a shareholder in Geras Care Ltd, incorporated in 2014; and St Gabriel Residential Homes Ltd, incorporated in 2010 together with Gaffarena’s son Michael.

While it is understood that Zammit’s shares were originally held by Ray Zammit and his two sons prior to a transfer registered in June 2014, it transpires that before the business relationship was set up Daniel Zammit had been appearing as a co-prosecutor in murder charges against Joe Gaffarena’s son-in-law Stephen Caruana.

Caruana was accused of shooting dead Neville Baldacchino, in his own home in Qormi in December 2008. He was granted bail on 13 January, 2009.

Caruana – then 28 – found Baldacchino at his house, allegedly in the company of his wife at 1am on 19 December, and shot him several times with a shotgun.

He pleaded not guilty to the murder, but since then has not yet been placed under a bill of indictment.

Press reports from the arraignment show that it was the prosecution, ostensibly Daniel Zammit, who asked Magistrate Miriam Hayman in her chamber, to have the sensitive evidence of witnesses like that of the wives of Caruana and Baldacchino, given behind closed doors – even though no reason for this decision was given. The request was naturally supported by the defence.

At the time however, co-prosecuting police inspector Chris Pullicino opposed bail for Caruana, who was still granted bail on an €18,612 deposit and personal guarantee of €34,897.

The compilation of evidence is still ongoing.

At the time of the murder charges, Ray Zammit was a superintendent in the traffic section, and was promoted to assistant commission in 2009.