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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 2 APRIL 2014 News 6 PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION Mosta cat killer case postponed after court expert fails to meet accused CHRIS MANGION WHILE the media reported that the compilation of the 'Mosta Cat Killer' was set to start yesterday, the prosecution yesterday morning in- formed the court that no witnesses had been summoned and that the court-appointed psychiatric expert had not yet spoken to the accused. Magistrate Carol Peralta ex- pressed his bewilderment at how the court expert had not found time to communicate with the 37- year-old Nicholas Grech over the last 10 days. In the previous sitting, Grech was remanded in custody awaiting the expert's report on his psychological state. He stands accused with the killing of various cats and dogs which were found crucified in different areas of Mosta, however he has denied that he killed any animals. Grech is also accused of animal cruelty, violation of burial grounds, trespassing on religious grounds, forcing entry into the Mosta Parish church and l-Isperanza Chapel and slandering the Catholic religion. When the man was arraigned on 20 March, the prosecution and defence said the accused was under psychiatric treatment and the court-appointed psychiatrist George Debono to draw a report regarding Grech's mental state. However when the court was called to hear the compilation of evidence, the magistrate was in- formed by defence law yer Martin Fenech that Debono had not yet visited the accused at the Forensic Ward, and that the report demand- ed by the court was nowhere near being concluded. "Such situations are unreasonable when one remembers that a man has been kept in preventive custody for ten days, pending such a report," the court said. Magistrate Peralta got further ir- ritated when prosecution officer Edmund Cuschieri said that neither Debono nor any other witness had been summoned for today's sitting as the prosecuting inspector was not aware that the case was sched- uled for today. "It amazes me how the media reported that the compilation of evidence starts today, yet the pros- ecution was oblivious to this," the Magistrate said in disbelief. The case was postponed to 30 April. Nicholas Grech, charged with having crucified dead animals and vilifying the Catholic religion, is taken into custody Six workers hospitalised after inhaling toxic fumes JOHN PISANI DOCTORS are examining six work- ers – four Maltese men and two Egyptians – after they inhaled car- bon dioxide fumes while working in a closed area on a freighter. The accident happened at 11:10am yesterday, when the men – aged 56 from Birkirkara, 43 and 23 from Fgura, 38 from Hamrun, and two Egyptians aged 38 and 37 years and residing in Malta – were working in the hull of the ship 'Xmun', currently being serviced at the Manoel Island Yacht Yard. When the men realised that they were in trouble as the carbon dioxide started leaking from the cylinders, they clambered onto deck, but one of the men jumped off the ship and suf- fered slight injuries. Three ambulances were on the spot after the alarm was raised, together with a unit from Civil Protection's Hazmat division. Both District Po- lice and units from the Rapid Inter- vention Unit were also on site. All six workers were examined on the spot by the medical teams of nurses and emergency department head Dr Jonathan Joslin before they were all taken to Mater Dei Hospital where they are still being treated. At the time of going to print, none of the workers were said to be in danger of dying. The District Police are investigat- ing the accident. The workers were working in the hull of the ship 'Xmun', currently being serviced at the Manoel Island Yacht Yard Two more remanded in custody over smart meter electricity theft CHRIS MANGION ANTHONY Mifsud, of Rabat, and Martin Cilia La Corte of Marsas- cala were remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to defrauding Enemalta and bribery of public of- ficers. The prosecution claimed that 49- year-old Martin Cilia La Corte, who works as a cleaner, was accused of being the middleman between En- emalta personnel offering tampered smart meters, and potential account holders. In separate proceedings, 50-year- old Anthony Mifsud also pleaded not guilty as charged. Mifsud works a skilled labourer with Enemalta. In both cases the defence lawyers requested bail. Appearing for La Corte, Gianella de Marco argued that the case had been going on for a number of weeks and the police filed no reports relating to evidence having been tampered with. Caro- line Farrugia represented Anthony Mifsud. However, prosecuting inspectors Daniel and Roderick Zammit ob- jected to the granting of bail, saying that potential witnesses had report- edly received threats. Magistrate Audrey Demicoli up- held the claims of the prosecution and remanded the two men in cus- tody. Yesterday's arraignments bring the total of people charged in connec- tion with the Enemalta smart meter scandal to six. Emanuel Micallef, 35, from Mtarfa and Richard Gauci, 47, from Rabat, both pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody, while Carmel Vella, 55 of Zejtun and Paul Pantalleresco, 55, of Mqabba, both former Enemalta employees, admitted to the charges and were jailed for two years and given a gen- eral perpetual interdiction. Murder suspect jailed for breaching bail THE courts yesterday jailed Ken- neth Gafà again, the man charged with the murder of hairdresser Christine Sammut, after the in- vestigating officer claimed the accused had breaching bail condi- tions. The accused, a 41-year old from Marsa who resides in Qormi, was out on bail over charges of mur- dering 40-year old Christine Sam- mut, of Rabat. The case dates back to the early hours of 11 December 2010, when Sammut was found shot in the neck, inside a van, at Zebbiegh, limits of Mgarr. Subse- quently the accused turned him- self in. Preliminary investigations showed that the two had been dat- ing for over a year but had vari- ous disagreements and had filed numerous police reports against each other. Prior to the incident the victim had thrown Gafà out of their apartment. Gafà is also facing charges of harassing Susan Sammut, who is related to the vic- tim. Police Superintendent Chris Pul- licino yesterday told the court that on the night between Sunday and Monday, Gafà was seen drinking at a Qormi bar. "His bail conditions read that he cannot be outside his residence after 10pm. This is not the first time that I heard this alle- gation so members from the Rapid Intervention Unit were informed and Gafà was arrested at the bar of the Qormi Football Club," the officer said. The accused pleaded not guilt y to breaching his conditions, claiming he was on the job, having parked his minibus at the Qormi football ground and even that po- lice officers had even allowed him to park illegally near the pitch. This was rebutted by officers from the Employment and Train- ing Corporation, who said that Gafà has been unemployed for a length of time and was currently on the dole. The two officers who arrested Gafà told the court that the arrest was made at 11pm in Qormi. Magistrate Audrey Demicoli or- dered that Gafà is kept in preven- tive arrest and postponed the case to next Friday when the witnesses for the defence will be heard. Man stabbed after argument at detention centre A resident in a detention centre was admitted to Mater Dei Hos- pital after he was involved in an argument at the Ħal Far detention centre yesterday morning. Police confirmed the man suf- fered several injuries allegedly caused by a pointed object. The incident occurred around 5:30am. Police did not give any details about the aggressor. His condition is not yet known although police added that he was not critical. YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Download the MaltaToday App now

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