The compilation of evidence against lawyer and former police inspector David Gatt is expected to commence next week, with Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona presiding over the case.

Although no date has as yet been set, the case is expected to start after Tuesday, 14 December. The prima facie case – the presentation of sufficient evidence by the prosecution to support criminal charges – has to take place before 6 January.

Forty-year-old David Gatt, from Birkirkara – who was dismissed from the police force nine years ago, together with other police officers, over allegations that he had been involved in criminal activity but was later reinstated – was arraigned before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli at 8.30pm last Tuesday.

Inspector Joseph Mercieca, who was prosecuting together with Inspector Michael Mallia, noted how Dr Gatt liked to compare himself with infamous Mafia boss Toto Rina – ‘il capo dei capi’ (the boss of bosses).

He was charged with promoting, constituting, organising or financing the association of two people or more with the intention of committing criminal acts for which a prison sentence of up to four years applies.

Dr Gatt was denied bail after pleading not guilty to involvement in organised crime and complicity in several theft cases.

In a list of 14 charges, Dr Gatt is being charged with being an accomplice in the attempted hold-up of a bank security van in Qormi in January and with the €1million heist at an HSBC branch in Balzan in November 2007.

Dr Gatt is also accused of complicity in the attempted hold up of jeweller Michael Mizzi in Attard on 3 December and complicity in the attempted hold up at HSBC’s head office in June this year.

As with the attempted hold-up at HSBC’s head office, the Attard incident was also foiled and one of the robbers, Darren Debono, suffered gun-shot injuries. Mr Debono is also pleading not guilty to involvement in the HSBC case, although he had subsequently been treated for gun-shot injuries. Dr Gatt had defended him in court.

Dr Gatt was also accused of preventing Dr John Zammit Montebello from giving information to the police or providing evidence in a criminal case. This was soon after the attempted hold up at HSBC’s headquarters.

Complicity in the disappearance of Fabio Psaila, who is still wanted by the police in connection with the attempted Attard hold-up, is included in the list of charges against Dr Gatt.

Lawyers Chris Cardona and Mark Vassallo, with whom Dr Gatt worked as a lawyer, are defending him.

Dr Gatt, a practising lawyer, last served as a police inspector in Rabat, sources said. Mr Mizzi, the victim of the recent attempted hold-up, also owns a jewellery shop behind the same police station in Rabat.

Former police officers David Gatt, Michael Buttigieg and Ivan Portelli had appealed against their dismissal and a recent court of appeal decision ruled that their discharge was unjustified and thus ordered their reinstatement.

On Thursday, Dr Gatt, a former Labour Party delegate, was dismissed from the party.

Dismissal from the Police Force

Dr Eddie Fenech Adami, who was prime minister at the time the three policemen were dismissed, said last September that he had no intention of apologising to them after transcripts of telephone conversations between them and robbery suspects in 2000 emerged.

The former officers had asked for the apology and for the Police Commissioner to resign after the court had found their dismissal was null and void because they had not been informed about the ongoing procedures against them by the Public Service Commission.

Dr Fenech Adami commented that the ruling in favour of them had been based on a technical issue. The Justice Ministry also remarked that the judgement was strictly procedural.

Two of the officers had opposed the exhibition of tapes and transcripts of the taped telephone conversations during court proceedings. In fact, the transcripts were removed from court records after the court upheld an application on the grounds that a warrant was not exhibited.

Testifying in court, Police Commissioner John Rizzo said the telephone calls had been recorded when the police were investigating a hold up.

Timeline

1989 – 2001: David Gatt served as a police officer

1993: Appointed police inspector

2001: Dismissed from the police force together with other former police officers over allegations of involvement in criminal activity

2001: Then Police Commissioner George Grech asks the Prime Minister to dismiss him from the police force in the public interest following a harassment scandal

2001 – 2010: Read law and practised as a lawyer

November 2007: €1million heist at an HSBC branch in Balzan

April 2009: The First Hall of the Civil Court orders David Gatt’s reinstatement as police inspector

January 2010: Attempted hold-up of bank security van in Qormi

June 2010: Attempted hold-up at HSBC headquarters

Sept 2010: Court of Appeal confirms the previous judgement

December 2010:

Friday 3: Attempted hold-up of jeweller Michael Mizzi

Monday 6: Dr Gatt taken in for questioning

Tuesday 7: Arraigned in court, pleads not guilty and remanded in custody

Thursday 9: Dismissed from the Labour Party