The seven car bombings that have occurred since 2011 - five since the beginning of last year - remain open and unsolved, and have elements that could classify the attacks as 'gang violence', a police spokesperson has told The Malta Independent on Sunday. At the same time, Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia has conceded that 'organised crime is not something new'.

Following a car bombing on Marina Street in Msida last February, in which Romeo Bone lost his legs, the government seemed intent on finding answers. A cabinet meeting was held after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat revealed he had been driven through the area only 15 minutes earlier.

However, a general election shifted the public's focus elsewhere, so much so that the image of Bone's legless body has become a distant memory.

With interest in these violent attacks rising only in the immediate aftermath of an incident, the alarming frequency of the attacks is often overlooked. There have been no arrests so far, even though in some cases the police have spoken to suspects, the identity of whom has not been disclosed.

The lack of substantial progress has left members of the public frustrated.

Bombings are not something that started in 2011, the police spokesperson explained, while conceding that "it's a fact that lately it has become the modus operandi mostly used."

"To claim there has been no progress is not fair either," the spokesperson said, adding that "progress cannot be measured solely on the solved or unsolved statistics. There is so much unseen work, including work that cannot be reported in the media, that we cannot concur with the reasoning that progress is achieved only when a case is solved.

"Whilst we understand that it is in the public interest that cases are solved and perpetrators are brought to justice, we can guarantee that in the majority of cases, irrespective of whether it is solved or not, much progress is made," the spokesperson continued.

"Sometimes this progress reaches the point where other incidents are prevented and therefore people's lives are saved."

The police could not "definitely say that all bombings are connected, although it is a fact that some of those involved are known associates.

"This fact, coupled with the nature of the crime itself, means there may be elements that classify the crimes as 'gang violence'."

 

Bomb production

There have also been questions regarding the production of the bombs, and whether or not they are being produced by the same person, after it was determined that a number of the explosions were caused by electronic detonation.

The police said, however, that they "cannot conclude that there is just one pair of hands involved.

"The components of these bombs are not difficult to acquire, and can even be found online, so there is no need to get the bomb made abroad obtain one from abroad."

Inspector and POU-GWU President Sandro Camilleri had previously claimed that the material used could easily have come from a local fireworks factory, something which the police could not confirm.

"The material used is something that is being analysed by the Court-appointed experts, and thus such information cannot be divulged. It is a fact, however, that pyrotechnic material can unfortunately be used for such purposes."

Three men have survived explosions: Romeo Bone, Keith Galea and Josef Cassar. However, the police could not divulge any confidential information about their cases.

In the case of Martin Cachia, who was blown up in his car in Marsascala in January 2016, questions had been asked regarding whether he was actually transporting the bomb or had been the intended target.

The police said that "since there is no unequivocal evidence to conclude that the victim was carrying the bomb, this case is being considered as a homicide."

Safety

With some of the explosions taking place on main roads and in the vicinity of schools, safety issues are causing public concern. The police concede that: "It is not an easy task to detect when crimes have taken place. Any incident involving an improvised explosive device is difficult to solve. However, as with any other crime, prevention and public safety is the top priority of the police and therefore all possible measures in this regard are being taken."

There was no mention of what such safety measures actually are.

The police also revealed that the government has since provided human resources and equipment towards the investigations into these types of crimes. However, no specific details were provided.

It was also confirmed that no foreign investigators have been engaged to provide assistance in the cases.

Minister Michael Farrugia

The Minister for Home Affairs and National Security refrained from commenting directly on any investigation, but conceded that "organised crime is not something new".

"All investigations are taken seriously and the police force is investing its resources, both as structure and with regards to forensic support services."

After February's bombing, former Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said that the cabinet was considering a rethink on legislation that might "hinder investigations into organised crime,"

Asked about the current state of the reform, Farrugia said: "The Ministry is in discussion with all the stakeholders in order to evaluate our current legislation. In the meantime, the Malta Police Force has good contacts with other forces abroad, together with Europol and Interpol. Such relationships are of invaluable support during certain investigations."

List of bombings:

16 November 2011: Canon Bonnici Street, Hamrun, which occurred near a school and targeted Keith Galea who had just been released from prison on prostitution-related charges.

1 June 2014: Darren Degabriele was blown up inside his car as he was driving on the road leading from Marsaxlokk to Żejtun.

16 January 2016: Martin Cachia was killed instantly when a bomb went off inside the Alfa Romeo car he was driving on the Marsascala bypass. Cachia had had appeared in court on a number of occasions in connection with drugs, contraband cigarettes and human smuggling., including drugs, contraband cigarettes and human smuggling.

26 September 2016: A bomb filled with screws and ball-bearings went off inside a van as it was being driven along Aldo Moro Road in Marsa, grievously injuring the driver, Josef Cassar.

31 October 2016: John Camilleri, known as Giovanni tas-Sapun, was killed inside a car that exploded in Triq Paderborn in St Paul's Bay.

29 January 2017: Victor Calleja, also known as Ic-Chippu, died when the car he was in blew up in Marsa.

20 February 2017: Romeo Bone, from Floriana, lost both his legs in a car explosion on Marina Street in Msida.