Irishman missing for two weeks
Missing person’s report issued only yesterday after family learnt of unexplained disappearance
Police are investigating the disappearance of a 45-year-old Irish national who was last seen in Xghajra on Sunday, 3 August.
Yesterday, police officially issued a missing notice for Robert Carrick, after his brother Phil turned to MaltaToday for assistance.
Carrick has been living in Malta for around 10 months and was last seen by his landlord and flatmate, Adrian Vamanu, on 3 August.
Vamanu told MaltaToday that the Irishman “vanished” and that he had not heard of him in two weeks. “He disappeared, vanished and I have absolutely no idea of where he could have gone or what intentions he had,” Vamanu, 33, said.
Although the police have known of the man’s disappearance for a week, the official statement was released yesterday at 8:10pm.
Usually, the police issue a statement 48 hours after a report is filed. However this could be explained by the delay in having a report filed by a family member. On Friday, Carrick’s wife left a message on the Police’s Facebook page in which she said “My husband living in Malta has disappeared for the last two weeks. Where can I report his absence? I live abroad. Please help!!!”
In reply, the police informed Orsi Carrick: “You may wish to file a formal police report at your local police station please.”
The missing man’s brother, speaking to MaltaToday from his home in Australia, described the disappearance as “odd”, and informed this newspaper of the brother’s disappearance, asking for assistance as his family has absolutely no idea of his whereabouts.
“We do not know much but we are informed that he left his apartment on 3 August and he hasn’t been seen or heard of since,” Carrick said.
Phil Carrick last spoke to his brother five weeks ago and although Robert did go off the radar in the past, he said that “it’s highly unusual for my brother to stop all communication with his family without informing us of his whereabouts.
“Normally no news is good news with my brother, however whenever he has some kind of problem he calls me. When he needs somebody to talk to I’m the first one he calls, so it’s peculiar of him to disappear in this way.”
Robert Carrick was last seen by Vamanu two weeks ago at the apartment they shared in Xghajra and speaking to MaltaToday, the Romanian explained that the Irishman had left all his possessions, including his passport, at the apartment.
“He left everything at home, his passport, his tablet and computer, everything. The only thing that is missing is a blue bag which belonged to me, in which he might have carried some clothes.”
Vamanu added that it was the first time Carrick made use of the bag, adding that the Police vice squad members had been at the apartment yesterday to continue their investigations. He said the Police took Carrick’s passport, tablet and other possessions in a bid to trace the missing man.
Vamanu informed the police of Carrick’s disappearance on 10 August by filing a report at the Zabbar police station.
“At first I thought he went in hiding because he did not have any money to pay for his rent, but after a week I realised that something was wrong. He did not return to have a shower, change his clothes or take his tablet. For a moment I thought he might have gone for a trip to Gozo or something, but he would have told me so.”
He added that he tried calling him on Monday, 4 August, but since then the phone has been switched off. Moreover, Vamanu says that the police have confirmed that Carrick hasn’t left the country, been arrested or been to hospital in the past two weeks.
Carrick split from his Hungarian wife in 2013 and was planning to visit his two daughters next month, and his brother said that Robert was “looking forward to see his girls.”
He also found it strange that his brother left the tablet behind, because it was his only means of communication with his daughters, aged eight and six.
Vamanu, who contacted Carrick’s wife Orsi through Facebook, said his flat mate “had financial and relationship problems” and often voiced his grievances over his failed marriage.
Moreover, Carrick could not hold on to his jobs and after being fired from a construction company where he worked together with Vamanu, the Irishman was also dismissed from a job he had at a shipyard in Marsa for allegedly turning up for work drunk.
Carrick’s elder brother Phil confirmed that the missing man battled with depression in the past, adding that “he always had some kind of drama going on in his life.”
However, when asked whether his brother had any enemies, Phil said “no, not that I know of, but I guess he did not know anyone well to make enemies in Malta.”
After leaving Hungary last year, Carrick worked for a brief period in Qatar before reaching Malta via England some 10 months ago.
Phil Carrick, who is only a year older than Robert, said he was thinking of hiring a private investigator and flying over to Malta to trace his brother.
“I’ve posted messages of his disappearance on Facebook and it has had almost 300 shares, but so far no one has been able to provide any information. I don’t know much as I’m still putting information together but I do hope he is well. I don’t want to think of the worst right now.”