Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/260953
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2014 2014 14 News JURGEN BALZAN BOMB 'expert' Pietru Cassar's mur- der earlier this week in Zejtun could be linked to a series of bomb attacks that have taken place over the recent years, police sources have told Mal- taToday. Cassar, known as 'il-Haqqa', was a well-known explosives special- ist who is thought to have manu- factured a number of bombs at the height of the political tensions which edged the country to an open violent conflict under the Labour adminis- trations between 1976 and 1987. MaltaToday was told that Cassar, a former car dealer, produced bombs for thugs and violent factions close to the two major political parties in the late 70s and throughout the 80s. Between 1978 and 1987, 142 bombs were planted, of which at least a 100 exploded. The culprits of such des- picable acts were never caught and remain unknown till this very day. TNT, gelatin and Ammonium Ni- trate Fuel Oil were among the mate- rial in the explosives used during the bomb attacks of the 1980s. Targets included the Commission- er of Police Lawrence Pullicino, the Air Malta chairman Albert Mizzi, the government's sensitive compu- ter centre in Dingli, police stations, foreign embassies, the Archbishop's residence, the residencies of former Labour MPs Reno Calleja and Guze Cassar, the Mosta residence of Dom Mintoff's former private secretary Joe Camilleri, and a number of PN clubs. Although Cassar was a well known figure in criminal circles, the police never had any proof of his involve- ment in the production of home- made bombs used in a series of attacks against party clubs and resi- dences during the years of political violence. Yet, it is believed that Cassar's murder is linked to a series of bomb attacks that took place in recent years, which targeted well known criminals such as Keith Galea and Paul Degabriele, known as is-Suldat, in 2012. A preliminary investigation of the scene of crime in the murder that took place on Wednesday, 12 Febru- ary, suggests that Cassar was shot in his Triq Santa Marija garage in Zej- tun, to the neck and to the chest. At least three shots were fired from a .9mm calibre pistol. He is believed to have walked out of his garage – listed as his residence – to seek assistance, however he col- lapsed as he tried to reach the door- step of a residence opposite his ga- rage where he drew his last breath. While excluding that Cassar's murder was linked to the political vi- olence which gripped the country 30 years ago, sources told MaltaToday that his death was linked to criminal activity, mainly in drug trafficking and usury. Following the murder, the police searched the garage where Cas- sar lived, however it is not known whether any explosives were found. In recent years, the police raided the garage in Zejtun on a number of occasions and in October 2012, the police's CID and the Explosives Ordinance Disposal unit from the Armed Forces had found explo- sives inside Cassar's garage, as well as unlicensed ammunition and two revolvers. The 67-year-old pensioner was facing a number of charges over the possession of a large amount of explosive substance used in the production of bombs, three pistols, a sub-machine gun, ammunition – both old and new – fuses, detonators and other booby traps of an explo- sive nature. He was also accused of being in possession of a World War II bomb. Testifying in court, Cassar had claimed that he kept the explosives and weapons for self-defence, in the eventuality that anyone would break into his house to rob or kill him. Il-Haqqa had criminal priors, in- cluding having been a suspect on several hold-ups. He was also placed under an attachment order in Oc- tober 2012, preventing him from transferring his assets under money laundering prevention laws. Sources also said that Cassar was a self-taught, highly technical explo- sives expert who probably had some experience in the pyrotechnic indus- try in his younger days. Bomb attacks Reportedly the police are look- ing into whether there was a link between Cassar's assassination, last week's murder of Joseph Galea, known as 'il-Gilda', and the contract killings of Paul Degabriele known as 'is-Suldat', Joseph Cutajar known as 'il-Lion', and Josef Grech, known as 'il-Yo-Yo'. Moreover, sources told this news- paper that Cassar's murder is linked to the bomb attack on Degabriele when a parcel bomb was discovered under his pick-up van in 2012. Degabriele's van had been the tar- get of a parcel bomb in Fgura. How- ever, the intervention of the AFM's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit had successfully detonated the bomb, which contained around 1kg of explosives. The bomb consisted of three, weld- ed metal cylinders heavily packed with explosive powder, believed to be the same used in the manufacture of fireworks. The three cylinders were attached with wires to a mobile phone, which could have triggered the bomb un- derneath the van which was parked just two corners away from a pri- mary school. Degabriele was later murdered in May 2013, shot dead in his car out- side the Enemalta customer care of- fice in Marsa. He had earlier been questioned in connection with the December 2012 murder of Joseph Cutajar, found to have been shot dead near his car in Mill Street in Mosta; and Josef Grech, also shot dead a few hours before on the same day, in Bahar ic-Caghaq. On Thursday, police investigating the Pietru 'il-Haqqa' murder also searched a residence belonging to Cutajar's relatives in Marsascala. As- sistant Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta said investigators were con- sidering "all avenues", including the possibility that the killings could all be connected. It is also believed that Cassar could have been involved in other bomb attacks in recent years, such as that on Keith Galea in 2011, the Trans- port Malta offices in 2010, and Philip Cini a year earlier. Keith Galea's car was destroyed in Gangland vendettas: Galea's murder linked to spate of bomb attacks From top, left to right: The lifeless body of Pietru Cassar 'il-Haqqa' lies on the Zejtun doorstep across his residence; his sister (left) with neighbours,on the scene; Assistant Commissioner Silvio Valletta discusses the crime scene with officers, while forensic officers collect evidence from the scene of the crime in Triq Santa Marija