David Gatt denied bail, accused sought weapons' licences prior to HSBC heist

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona has denied bail to former police inspector David Gatt who has also been formally indicted for complicity in major armed heists.

Ending a marathon sitting during which police prosecutors presented more evidence against David Gatt, Inspector Joe Mercieca revealed that when he searched David Gatt’s office at Labour MP Chris Cardona's legal office, he found a huge picture framing the notorious ‘Godfather’ hanging above his desk. There was also an Israeli flag in the office, the officer said.

In his testimony, Inspector Mercieca stated that former police constables who were colleagues to David Gatt when he was stationed at the Rabat Police Station had told him that the place had become a “criminal club.”

Another witness was PC Joseph Zarb who explained that he is a long-time acquaintance to accused David Gatt and that he had started to frequent him for drinks at a Paceville bar some six years ago. “When we met, I always saw him in the company of PC Mario Portelli (the star witness) and while we spoke about Gatt’s dismissal, he would go on to talk about the mafia and its structure.”

At least three weapons were found in David Gatt’s possession after being seized from his parents’ house, a court heard this morning.

Gatt, 40 of Birkirkara, a former police inspector dismissed from the police force in 2001, stands charged with complicity in a series of armed heists, including a €1 million haul from HSBC branch in Balzan in 2007, and the attempted heist on the bank’s headquarters in Qormi last June.

In evidence given this morning by police officers and forensic experts, it transpired that David Gatt was in possession of weapons that were similar to police issue.

According to a police licensing officer, David Gatt owned a Smith & Wesson revolver, and had a number of applications to carry and to keep firearms in his possession.

The applications were filed almost days from the armed heist on an armoured vehicle in Mriehel in January 2010, and another just days before the HSBC Qormi heist. During both attempted heists, a number of shots were fired.

Interestingly, a police licence for the firearms David Gatt applied for on those days, were subsequently issued weeks after the Mriehel and Qormi heists.

During this morning’s hearing, Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona is set to decide on granting bail to David Gatt, who was remanded in custody last week.

However, senior police sources have said that investigations that have continued have led to the issuance of new warrants this morning. It is not yet known what the warrants are, but MaltaToday is informed that the inquiring magistrate approved searches and arrests of further suspects connected to David Gatt and fugitive Fabio Psaila.

During this morning’s sitting, Police Inspector Chris Pullicino from the CID Homicide Department was also present for a while.

Prosecuting officers Michael Mallia and Joe Mercieca presented five DVD films on the life of Corleonese mafia boss Toto Riina and another about the Sicilian anti-mafia judges who lost their lives when fighting against organised crime. They also presented the three weapons that were seized from David Gatt’s mother’s home, and from an apartment in David Gatt’s name.

Meanwhile, another witness – PC Jonathan Agius – was said in court to be “under threat” by David Gatt’s criminal band for having conducted a stop-search on the car of George Degiorgio aka ‘Ciniz’, one of the former persons of interest in the investigation on the Group 4 heist of 2000.