CCTV footage exhibited in court today showed three men arriving during the early hours of the morning on the night of 11 August 2008, and making their way into former Labour MP Anthony Zammit’s home through the front door.

The MP was found hogtied and naked, with blood running down his lips and trauma to his head, his handyman Philip Schembri told the court in the second day of a trial by jury of the 39-year-old Kenneth Ellul

Court appointed architect Richard Aquilina concluded that the aggressors must have had prior knowledge of the “labyrinth” of corridors in Zammit’s home, and there were no signs of a forced entry. 

Two handymen had keys to Zammit’s property

From the evidence heard today, at least two people had keys to Zammit’s property. His handyman, Philip Schembri, was the first person on the scene together with a policeman.

Schembri received a call on his mobile phone at around 4am in the morning from an unspecified person, informing him about the robbery. At first he did not believe it, but he then received another call from a policeman, confirming the incident.

After letting themselves in to Zammit's Zebbug home through the front door using Schembri’s set of keys, they ran up the stairs and kicked Zammit’s locked bedroom door open, having heard his cries for help. They untied the victim, who explained that the robbers asked him for money and then assaulted him.

Taking to the witness stand, Police Major Joseph Borg said that both Zammit’s bedroom and kitchen appeared to have been ransacked. Borg arrived on the scene after Zammit had been untied. 

The court also head that a number of the victim's own neckties were used to immobilise him. 

Schembri told the court that there was no sign that anything had been stolen, although some antiques appeared to be missing from a display cabinet, he said. 

Schembri told the court that he no longer works for Zammit. 

Yet another of Zammit’s handymen, Alfred Cauchi, also took to the witness stand. Cauchi also had keys to Zammit’s property at the time of the incident. Cauchi told the court that he still works for Zammit, but no longer has a set of keys.

Recovery of firearm

One of the guns allegedly used in the robbery was recovered by Inspector Geoffrey Cilia, after receiving a tip-off that the gun was up for sale in the criminal underworld. An arrest warrant was issued and the revolver was recovered.

Dinner with Zurrieq Mayor

Zurrieq mayor Natius Farrugia told the court that he was out dining with Zammit together with a family they know on the night of the break-in. Farrugia picked up Zammit from his home and dropped him off later that night, although Farrugia was unable to recall the exact time when they arrived at Zammit’s home.

Farrugia said that no one appeared to be following them, and he distinctly remembers looking in his rear-view mirror when they arrived outside of Zammit’s Zebbug home.