Steel company subcontractor denies stealing scrap metal

An Italian subcontractor to a local steel company has denied stealing copper and other items from a scrapyard.

29-year-old Antonio Moscato from Gela appeared in the dock before magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras this morning, accused of aggravated theft to the detriment of Metalco Limited and handling stolen goods.

Inspector Chantelle Casha explained that the police had been contacted by Metalco Ltd yesterday, after the company's CCTV system captured footage of a person jumping into their property and taking items away. 

Moscato was arrested later on, after the scrapyard owner recognised the van used as belonging to a company that owned a large garage near their premises. He spotted the same van going into a garage in Marsa belonging to Jac Steel Ltd and had called the police. A sack full of scrap copper was found in the van, and had been claimed as belonging to Metalco, the Inspector said. A total of €4,000 worth of items and equipment had been stolen since beginning of August.

Moscato denied the charges. Defence lawyer Etienne Calleja requested bail.

The court allowed the man's release from arrest against a deposit of €700 and a personal guarantee of €4,300, on condition that he surrenders his ID card, does not leave Malta or approach witnesses, in particular the directors and employees of Metalco Ltd. He was also ordered to sign a bail book daily, observe a curfew.