A former business associate of Joseph Portelli was granted bail on Thursday after allegedly entering Mercury Towers armed with a steak knife in his pocket and making his way to the offices occupied by the businessman and his family.

Martin John Azzopardi, 52, is the founder and CEO of Legacy Ventures Limited, a private construction, property development and project management firm based in St Julian's. The company also previously headed project management at J Portelli Projects until 2022. The company currently rents offices on the ground floor of Mercury Towers.

The court heard that the incident unfolded on 27 October at around 2 pm, when Azzopardi was dining at a restaurant opposite Mercury Towers in St Julian's. While at the restaurant, Azzopardi reportedly expressed his liking for the steak knife on the table. Being a regular customer, restaurant staff allowed him to take the knife with him. He had reportedly drunk a whole bottle of wine while dining there.

Rather than returning to his own office, which he rented on the ground floor of Mercury Towers, Azzopardi proceeded directly to the upper floors of the building, where Portelli and members of his family work. The prosecution explained that Azzopardi persuaded the receptionist to allow him upstairs before heading towards the glass entrance to Portelli's offices.

An employee who recognised Azzopardi from his presence in the building approached him and noticed that he appeared visibly agitated, with his face flushed. The employee attempted to calm him down, eventually persuading him to sit down.

At this stage, Azzopardi was still carrying the knife.

Portelli, who was reportedly concerned about the unexpected visit, nevertheless agreed to meet Azzopardi since he had already made his way to the offices. Upon learning that Portelli was willing to speak to him, Azzopardi went into a nearby bathroom, where he left the knife wrapped in a napkin near the toilet.

He then returned to meet the businessman, leaving the knife just a few doors away from where their conversation took place. Their meeting was reportedly brief and appeared to end on a more positive note, with Azzopardi leaving soon after. 

However, after Azzopardi had left, the same employee became suspicious of the amount of time he had spent inside the bathroom and decided to investigate.

Upon entering, the employee discovered the steak knife wrapped in a napkin. Following the discovery of the knife, a police report was filed and Azzopardi was arrested later that evening at his home. The police explained that the accused had been cooperative with officers but was heavily intoxicated when police attempted to question him. Consequently, investigators decided to postpone his formal questioning until the following morning.

Azzopardi spent the night at the police depot and provided his first statement the next day.

However, during questioning, he began complaining of chest pains and was subsequently taken to hospital for medical attention. He was discharged on Thursday morning, allowing police to proceed with his arraignment.

The accused denied the charges.

The defence requested bail, but the prosecution objected on the grounds that witnesses had yet to testify. The defence countered that the incident had been captured on CCTV footage, arguing that the accused had never actually physically approached and met with Portelli while carrying the knife. The court was told that Azzopardi had left the knife in the toilet at the offices before meeting Portelli, meaning that he was not in possession of the weapon during their encounter.

Requesting a protection order covering Portelli's residence and workplace, parte civile lawyer Giannella De Marco argued that the accused's conduct demonstrated a clear intention. "The intention is clear when someone brings a knife with them," she insisted. "I don't know if he was coked up or not," De Marco remarked, prompting the accused to shake his head.

A further exchange arose over the location of Azzopardi's office. When the court was told that he had an office on the ground floor of Mercury Towers, the accused interjected, clarifying that his office was actually situated across the street from the complex.

"Well, you're going to have to scrap it," De Marco replied.

Duty magistrate Gabriella Vella eventually granted bail to the accused against a €800 deposit and €10,00 personal guarantee. The court banned Azzopardi from approaching Mercury towers, PenderGardens, Nadur and Rabat, Gozo.

A three-year protection order was issued in favour of Portelli and his family.

Azzopardi was also placed under an electronic monitoring order for the three-year duration of the protection order, requiring him to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Should he enter any of the locations covered by the protection order ,LESA would be notified and the police alerted.

Azzopardi previously convicted over violent assault on Portelli

Martin Azzopardi and his two brothers were previously found guilty of grievously injuring businessman Joseph Portelli following a violent confrontation in Victoria, Gozo in 2002.

Martin struck Portelli with a metal bar used for setting up market stalls, while Martin's brother also kicked the victim in the head as he lay on the ground.

Medical evidence established that Portelli had sustained grievous injuries, including injuries around his left eye and head. The court fined Martin and John Azzopardi Lm300 each. Their brother Mario received a 13-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

The defence was led by lawyer Dominic Micallef.

The prosecution was led by police inspectors Pierguido Saliba and Christian Xuereb. Lawyer Gianella de Marco represented the parte civile. 
Magistrate Gabriella Vella presided over the arraignment.