Contractor charged with aggravated theft after being spotted towing stolen machinery

Police have accused a building contractor of stealing machinery and hand tools worth €4,000 from a building site in Mosta.

Antoine Borg was charged with stealing a stone cutter and other construction tools belonging to Attard Brothers from the L.J.E. Complex, a construction site in Triq il-Fortizza, Mosta. Borg had previously been questioned about the theft, which took place at around 9:00pm on 15 January this year.

Inspector Maurice Curmi told magistrate Ian Farrugia this morning, how police had recently been receiving several of reports of thefts from constructions sites.

An anonymous tip-off by a person who had observed a vehicle towing one of the stolen pieces of heavy machinery, had led police to the accused. The number plate reported had matched that of a vehicle belonging to Borg which had also previously been captured on CCTV some 200 metres away from the construction site from which the items had been stolen, he said.

Borg, a 35-year-old self-employed building contractor from Swieqi, pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated theft, handling stolen goods and recidivism.

Lawyer Joseph Giglio requested bail, which was granted against a €500 deposit and a personal guarantee of €1,500. A curfew was also imposed.