Naxxar band club committee acquitted of illegal storage of explosives

Eight members from the Naxxar Peace Band club committee have been cleared of storing explosive material in the club’s basement, after a magistrate heard how none of them knew the fireworks were kept there.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera said none of the eight members had access to the basement where the explosives were found in a hidden room behind a cupboard, and none were involved in organising fireworks for the village feast.

President Carmel Grech, secretary Victor Gauci, youth director Louis Bugeja, assistant secretary Edward Azzopardi, women's section director Mary Chetcuti, band delegate Anthony Cauchi, treasurer Joseph Martin Camilleri and NGO coordinator Raymond Chetcuti were cleared of the charges.

The eight committee members issued a statement to police and chose not to testify, only saying that they were unaware that the explosives were stored in the basement of the band club.

Another three committee members Ivan Gauci, David Sammut and Joseph Buhagiar, have charges still pending against them. Club administrator Mark Agius was charged separately and jailed for two years. His appeal is pending.

The raid on the Peace Band club followed the death of two people in an explosion in March 2008 on Triq Hal Dghejf in Naxxar, believed to have been caused by victim Paul Camilleri, 47, who had stored fireworks at home. Neighbour Sina Sammut, 35 and mother of two, died in the explosion.

Police raided the band club in May 2008, where during a search in the basement police found a room hidden behind a cupboard, that contained boxes filled with explosives.

Investigations resulted that David Sammut had a key to the basement and Ivan Gauci, Buhagiar and Agius had copies. No link was found between the explosives and the March blast.

Police inspector Nicolai Sant told the court that victim Paul Camilleri was not involved in making fireworks for the feast, and did not rule out that Camilleri may have been manufacturing fireworks to use in case the Labour Party won the 8 March general elections – four days before the blast.