The trial of Emanuel Camilleri, who is accused of trying to kill Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Cassar and his family, is nearing the end as the judge began addressing the jurors yesterday after the prosecution and the defence finished expounding their arguments.

Camilleri, 40, from Mqabba, is being accused of planting a bomb outside AC Cassar’s Zabbar residence at around 1.30am on 23 May 1994. He is being charged with the attempted murder of AC Cassar and his family.

The man also allegedly trafficked heroin and cocaine between May 1994 and June 1998. Camilleri is also standing trial for injuring Marco Abdilla by shooting him in the leg on 22 March 1998.

Abdilla would have been a key witness in the trial since AC Cassar explained he had admitted he knew of Camilleri’s involvement in the explosion and had agreed to testify. Abdilla, known as it-Tinnu, has since passed away and therefore his statement to police was read in court during the trial.

While addressing the jurors, one of Camilleri’s defence attorneys, Dr John Attard Montalto, pinned the blame on the late Abdilla. He said he was convinced it was Abdilla who had planted the bomb and this was the reason he knew so much about it.

In response to this, prosecuting officer Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara said Abdilla was told about the bomb because Camilleri had asked him to plant it outside AC Cassar’s residence.

“Abdilla himself had no personal interest in planting the bomb outside AC Cassar’s house,” said Dr Barbara. Unlike Camilleri, this man did not have lucrative business in the Zabbar drug rings that had been lost due to AC Cassar’s successful investigations, he said.

In 1994, Abdilla had no reason to tell police of Camilleri’s involvement, yet when he shot him in 1998, it became evident that Abdilla was afraid of Camilleri, continued the prosecution.

Dr Barbara mentioned that Abdilla was then caught with drugs and told the police of Camilleri’s involvement in the explosion, in June 1998, due to his fear of the accused. Charlie Muscat, known as il-Pips, had also claimed Camilleri had planted the bomb outside AC Cassar house. He had spoken to police in September 1994, when he was being investigated on a double murder, which he was later found guilty of.

Although Muscat took the witness stand and claimed he did not recall speaking to police, he admitted he and Camilleri had not been on good terms during that period of time since he suspected the accused was seducing his wife. The defence shed doubt on Muscat’s words since, apart from being a convicted murderer, he admitted having been high on cocaine for around 48 hours before speaking to police and mentioning Camilleri in connection with the bomb.

On the other hand, the prosecution said that Muscat’s anger and his drug induced state led to him “spill the beans” and say that Camilleri was responsible for planting the bomb outside AC Cassar’s house.

Abdilla knew Camilleri through Muscat and therefore it is not unreasonable to consider that Camilleri may have asked him to plant the bomb he had made to get rid of AC Cassar, said Dr Barbara.

After the prosecution and the defence rested their cases, presiding judge Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono began summing up the case and explaining the finer points of the law to the attentive jurors who are due to give their verdict in the next few days.