An explosives expert yesterday informed a jury that a pipe bomb placed outside a police officer’s house in 1994 was an anti-personnel rather than anti-property device.

Testifying during the trial by jury of Emanuel Camilleri – who is accused of planting a bomb outside Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Cassar’s house – Colonel Albert Camilleri said the bomb was designed to kill or severely injure people as the metal casing would have sprayed as shrapnel on detonation.

He said, “It is not a difficult device to make if you know how. The explosive was based on ammonium nitrate, the same stuff used in high-power blasting of sand and gravel quarries.”

Questioned by the prosecution, Col Camilleri said that anyone in the fireworks trade could construct such a device with ease.

“Even if you had no experience and someone told you or showed you how to make a pipe-bomb, you could easily do it,” he informed the court.

He also said fireworks enthusiasts do not use ammonium nitrate in their products. He explained that the bomb caused damage to AC Cassar’s front door, porch, façade and electrical system. Windows were also broken by the bomb blast further down the street.

Asked to explain the blast type by the defence, Col Camilleri said, “Put it this way, if you put it outside a stone room or building, it might damage a few stones if the device is set up right up to the wall.”

However, he said that shrapnel would travel through the front door and ricochet around the room. “But if the bomb was placed inside this court room, half of us would be killed or maimed,” he concluded.

Camilleri, 40, from Mqabba, is also being accused of trafficking heroin and cocaine as well as seriously injuring Marco Abdilla when he shot him in the leg on 21 March 1998.

The bill of indictment drawn up against Camilleri alleged he was deeply involved in cocaine and heroin trafficking and was losing money due to AC Cassar’s success in drug investigations, the motive behind planting the bomb.

The man who was to be the main witness in the trial, Marco Abdilla, known as it-Tinnu, recently passed away and his police statements were read out in court. The court also heard his testimony in an inquiry and compilation of evidence against Camilleri.

Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara began the marathon session of reading out transcripts by saying that Abdilla first made a police report about the bomb incident on 16 June 1998.

Abdilla had told police he was a drug user, heroin and cocaine in particular. He said he bought drugs from Camilleri, usually nine sachets of heroin for Lm50 and cocaine at Lm20 a gram.

He also told police that he owed Camilleri a lot of money – about Lm30,000.

Camilleri had asked for the money, but when he did not give it to him, he (Camilleri) threatened to kill him. One evening, Camilleri went round to his house and shot him in the leg.

Dr Barbara said Abdilla was taken to hospital and told police he had been shot because he owed someone money. However, at the time, he did not divulge the person’s identity.

In his statement to police on the bomb, Abdilla said he had not blown the whistle on Camilleri because he was afraid of him.

He said that he subsequently called Camilleri and asked him why he had shot him. Camilleri, allegedly, simply asked him if he had told police of the incident and when Abdilla said he had not, the debt was forgiven.

He said that Camilleri had later told him he wanted to get rid of Mr Cassar because of his anti-drug success and he offered him 200 grams of cocaine to place the bomb for him.

Abdilla told police he refused because he was afraid of going to prison and he could not have such a matter on his conscience.

He also claimed that he had seen the pipe bomb which he described as being 10 inches long with a two-foot fuse. A few days later, he heard that Mr Cassar’s house had been bombed.

Abdilla also told police that while he was serving time at the Corradino Correctional Facility, Charles Muscat, il-Pips, had asked him if Camilleri had offered him 200 grams of cocaine to place the bomb.

Abdilla said he told Muscat that that was what had happened and he (Muscat) subsequently told him Camilleri had revealed that he had planted the device.

Asked why he decided to come forward four years later, Abdilla said Camilleri and his drugs had ruined his life and he wanted to see him go to prison.

Abdilla said that even when he was in rehab, Camilleri used to make him succumb to temptation. The trial continues this morning.

Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr John Attard Montalto appeared for the accused while Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara is leading the prosecution.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono is presiding over the court.