Brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio claimed they have “direct, clear and credible” information that implicates Minister Carmelo Abela in the 2010 HSBC heist.
In a judicial protest filed by their lawyer William Cuschieri, the brothers are claiming that statements made by Prime Minister Robert Abela last week, prejudiced their right to be presumed innocent. The brothers took umbrage at Abela’s description of them as 'criminals' and 'organised crime'.
The judicial protest confirms that following media reports on Abela’s alleged link to the 2010 heist, the chief investigator asked them to pass on any relevant information.
The Degiorgio brothers said they informed the police that Alfred had “direct information” on Carmelo Abela’s involvement but before divulging the information wanted a pending request for a presidential pardon to be considered.
The brothers claim that the information is not hearsay and can lead to the prosecution of third parties involved in the heist.
The judicial protest says the police investigator informed them that he had to speak to the Police Commissioner on the matter.
However, on 20 May, when replying to questions from journalists, the Prime Minister defended Carmelo Abela and implied the Nationalist Party was in cahoots with criminals.
The Prime Minister accused the “criminals” of wanting to buy their freedom.
The Prime Minister’s comments were made after Carmelo Abela had confirmed that he was questioned by police over the claims made by the Degiorgio brothers.
At the time of the heist, Carmelo Abela worked at the bank and also had access to the equipment that made the access cards.
The men involved in the heist had made their way to the cash centre, using access cards, in what investigators have always believed was an inside job.
In the judicial protest, the Degiorgio brothers say the Prime Minister prejudiced their right to be presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. They denied wanting to ‘buy the pardon’, adding that they wanted their request to be considered just like those made by others.
“We want nothing more and nothing less and it should not be the case that they are treated differently because they are in a position to identify politicians involved in crimes,” the protest reads.
The Degiorgio brothers were denied a pardon by Cabinet last month on recommendation of the Attorney General and Police Commissioner. Carmelo Abela had recused himself from that meeting.
The Degiorgio brothers were charged in December 2017 of procuring, planting and detonating the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia. The case against them is ongoing.
A third accomplice, Vince Muscat, pleaded guilty to the charges last February and was sentenced to 15 years in jail after a plea bargain agreement.
Muscat was granted a presidential pardon on a different case, involving the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop.