The victims of an alleged €17,000 burglary have testified against a man accused of breaking into their home and stealing several pieces of jewellery, including a €2,500 ring, a generations-old pocket watch as well as gold coins.
Testifying in court, the homeowners recalled returning to their property after being abroad for some time, to discover that drawers in their dressing table had been disturbed and jewellery boxes left in disarray.
The couple told the court that a number of valuable items were missing, although they did not notice any other significant damage to their home.
Various pieces of jewellery, with a total estimated value of around €17,000, had allegedly been taken from jewellery boxes and dressing table drawers. Moreover, the husband noted some gold coins had been taken from his study. Among the missing items was a ring valued at around €2,500 as well as a pocket watch which had been passed down through the family for generations.
The victims subsequently filed a report with the police.
After further investigations, it was found that the accused, 49-year-old Syed Zaheer Abbas, gained access to the property through a sliding door.
Abbas denies all the charges against him.
Accused over string of burglaries
The case forms part of wider criminal proceedings against Abbas, who was arraigned under arrest in February over three alleged burglaries carried out between March 2024 and May 2025.
The first concerns a residence in Triq il-Ħarrub, Attard, where Abbas is accused of stealing money and other items between 16 and 19 March 2024. Prosecutors say the value of the property exceeded €2,329.37, making the alleged theft aggravated by value, as well as by means and place. He was also charged with causing damage to the property.
A second alleged burglary took place between the evening of 1 December and the following morning at a residence in Triq Oscar Testa, Attard, where Abbas is accused of stealing money and other objects worth more than €2,329.37, with the alleged theft aggravated by means, value, place and time. He also faces a separate charge of damaging the property.
The third case concerns a residence in Triq il-Waqgħa, Mosta, where prosecutors allege that Abbas stole money or other property on 23 May 2025.
The prosecution is also accusing Abbas of being a recidivist.
When he was arraigned over the three burglaries in February, Abbas pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody. In one of the alleged break-ins, a person who had been inside the residence identified him from photographs, according to evidence reported at the time.
Separate money laundering proceedings
Abbas is also facing separate money laundering proceedings stemming from investigations into a series of thefts dating back to 2023.
He was arrested at the airport after investigators linked him to another alleged theft, with police finding jewellery, documents and records indicating that around €100,000 had been transferred to Pakistan.
Abbas and another man were subsequently charged with money laundering offences. Abbas was also charged with an aggravated theft from the Attard residence between 31 January and 7 February 2026.
Prosecutors sought a €240,000 freezing order against him.
The proceedings remain ongoing.
The accused is being represented by defence lawyers Jose Herrera and Naomi Spiteri. The prosecution is being led by AG lawyers Martina Calleja and Miguel Taliana, together with Inspectors Joseph Mallia and Joseph Mercieca.
Magistrate Ann Marie Thake presided over the sitting.