PN bodyguards with criminal records

Even PN supporters were quite disturbed by the persons they saw outside Dar Centrali on the evening of Thursday, 12 July, when the PN's Executive Committee met. Among them they could see persons with a criminal record, people who have beaten policemen in football grounds and also those who are known to act as pimps.

One of the persons guarding the main door of Dar Centrali was George Briffa - known as 'Il-Piccolin' - or George 'Iz-Zghir', a canvasser for Minister Austin Gatt. George Briffa is implicated in the 26 October 2000 hold-up carried out on the security van of Group 4 where thieves got away with a million liri Maltin in cash.

The police had been informed that the gang that organised the hold-up was meeting near the Siggiewi cemetery. The members of the gang fled when the police turned up. After a car chase the members of the gang were caught by the police in Marsa.

In court, Police Commissioner John Rizzo referred to George Briffa as a "well-known criminal".

George Briffa is also involved in the case implicating former inspector David Gatt, who used to refer himself as Toto Rina (a mafia boss). In Gatt's network, Briffa was nicknamed 'Michele Greco', a mafia hit man who committed a number of murders.

Another canvasser of Minister Gatt and one of the bodyguards in charge of security at Dar Centrali on 12 July 2012 was Anthony Formston,  known as 'Is-Sons'.

Formston, 47, has a six-page criminal record that spans over 16 years, has been found guilty of fraud, of breaking the tax law and of assaulting the police.

Over the years, Formston, a repeat offender, has admitted in court to forming part of a group of people who disturbed public order, caused a €1,000 worth of damage, threatened and injured a number of police officers.

Apart from being fined, he was given a probation order for three years and ordered by the court not to attend any sporting event.

On 13 September 2003, the court remarked on Formston's six-page, 16-year criminal record, which included breaking the tax law and assaulting public officers.

Formston, who has a stall at the open market ('il-Monti') in Valletta has been found guilty of fraud and of breaking the copyright law when he falsified the names of the brands of the products he sold. Formston was also found guilty of threatening a police officer and of insulting him with vulgar words as the officer was searching for counterfeit goods on his stall.PN's secretary general Paul Borg Olivier has been criticised within the PN for allowing people like Briffa and Formston to carry out security duties at Dar Centrali.After the meeting, MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando had asked whether some of the bodyguards standing guard at the main door of Dar Centrali were persons with criminal records and had pending criminal charges in court. Three weeks have passed since Pullicino Orlando asked this question and so far, PN secretary general Paul Borg Olivier - who is responsible for Dar Centrali - has not answered this question.

Evarist Bartolo is shadow minister for education