by Carlo Bonini
There is something hideously prophetic about this blog. Who carried out the failed hold-up of the HSBC Centre in 2010? One man was charged with firing more than 30 shots at the police. He was not convicted. His name was Vincent Muscat ‘il-Koħħu’. Alfred Degiorgio ‘il-Fulu’ and George Degiorgio ‘iċ-Ċiniż’ were never charged, but were implicated when their names cropped up in the evidence against David Gatt. These were the same men who would later be charged with Daphne’s murder.
Before his arrest in 2017, Vincent Muscat had made the headlines in 2014 when he was shot in the head three times, losing sight in one eye and having a bullet fragment permanently lodged in his brain.
‘Someone got out of the passenger’s side and started shooting,’ Muscat told a court. ‘He was holding a large pistol in his right hand, and as soon as he got out of the car he rolled back his hood. At this point, I recognised the shooter as being Jonathan Pace,’ he said.
On 20 August, 2014 Pace was shot dead in a spray of bullets from an automatic rifle as he smoked a cigarette on his balcony.
All the gangsters deny any wrongdoing.
The star witness against Gatt had been a police officer, Mario Portelli. He and other witnesses painted a grim picture of Gatt as the ultimate bent copper. Gatt had a poster of The Godfather in his office, and asked his cronies to kiss his hand like Don Corleone and call him capo di tutti i capi (boss of all bosses).
But the case collapsed, and Gatt walked out of court a free man.
Once free, Gatt joined the legal practice of one Chris Cardona. Cardona signed a letter recommending David Gatt be admitted to the bar.
The following is a free translation of the interrogation of George Degiorgio at police headquarters on 5 December 2017, edited only for clarity. The questions are asked by Inspector Keith Arnaud. Also in the room was Inspector Kurt Zahra.
— George, please, how old are you?
Silence.
— I’ll ask you again. How old are you, George?
Silence.
— In that case, what’s your father’s name, George?
Silence.
— So, I shall read out the details from your identity card. George Degiorgio … [personal details redacted]
— Some questions will be put to you George, you are not obliged to answer them unless you wish to do so, but what you say will be recorded, and can be used as evidence against you.
— As you know, yesterday the police arrested you in Marsa at 8.15am. You were in an area known as Lighters Wharf or the potato shed near the Marsa Regatta Club. You were given the usual police caution and your rights explained to you. Do we agree, George, that yesterday we asked if you wanted a lawyer before we start asking questions?
Silence.
— Let me ask you for the last time, George, do you want a lawyer? We have not asked you any questions yet. This is your right. We are obliged by law to ask if you want a lawyer present. What do you say to that? We have to start asking questions.
Silence.
— As we told you yesterday George, and as is written on the arrest warrant, we have arrested you on suspicion of the murder of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Do you have anything to say to this?
— Our work shows, George, the police work and the reports of the local and foreign experts show that the bomb was activated by SMS. The bomb had a circuit device, at least we are told it is called a circuit device, a GSM module, of the type which I am showing you now in document KK3.
— Exhibit KK3 is a photo of a reproduction of the device that triggered the bomb, an electronic circuit connected to a SIM card, with the card remotely activated by text message. This GSM module takes a SIM card, there is the slot, and the person activating it sent an SMS to the line at the moment they wanted the bomb to explode. We have the proof that you were the person who sent this SMS. Is this true?
Silence.
— So you don’t want to tell us anything, do you? Then let me remind you how things went. The evidence shows that way back in November last year, two SIM cards were bought on the same day and activated on the same day, 10 January 2017 […] somewhere near the Siġġiewi industrial estate […] The SIM cards were placed into two mobile phones with these numbers: […] 9968 3752 and 9968 4366. They were topped-up with some credit, 9968 4366 remained in the mobile phone, while 9968 3752 was placed in a device, a GSM module like the one I am showing you in the photo KK3. As a matter of fact, the GSM module carrying the SIM card ending in 3752 has an IMEI number, in other words its serial number is 861508036763140. This is the serial number of the apparatus linked to the explosives which killed Daphne Caruana Galizia. Have you ever seen anything like it George? Has SIM card 9968 3752 ever been in your possession?
— This SIM card was placed inside the device, then removed in August this year, topped up with credit and left inside it. On the other hand, 9968 4366 was placed in three different mobile phones. [The] last one had the [serial] number 356012089741510. I am saying the last one, as the last time it was used was actually on 16 October, a minute just before 3pm, when somebody sent a message to this device on line 3752 at the time Daphne was driving her car, so as to explode the bomb. Do you know anything about these two SIM cards, George? Doesn’t this jog your memory at all?
Silence.
— Fine then, let me try to refresh your memory. It also means, George, that 4366 [is a] Vodafone number, used to send the SMS [to] 3752 inside the bomb. The evidence shows the bomb was placed in Daphne’s car, in the early morning of 16 October, at 1.40am. We are saying this because the evidence shows that this GSM module device with SIM card ending 3752 was switched on at 1.41am exactly, and remained active in the Bidnija area. It remained switched on, but idle without any activity, until 2.58.55pm. It left a signal every hour, indicating its location as Mosta, as Bidnija and so confirming to us that the device remained in Bidnija, which is clear proof of the time the bomb was placed. What do you answer to this, George?
Silence.
— But that’s not all, George. Now let me tell you what happened to the other SIM card. The mobile phone with the SIM card ending in 4366 was switched on at 6.15am. It was turned on somewhere near that potato shed where you were arrested yesterday, that’s where you folks hang out. […] And at nearly 3pm an SMS was sent to the number ending 3752 and the bomb exploded […] the message said REL 1 = ON, if you remember well, George. What do you say to this? If you like, I can help you. It means that you were the one who set off the bomb. Or am I wrong?
Silence.
— Let’s continue, George. Last August, you, your brother Fred, and […] Vincent Muscat acquired or bought three SIM cards and three mobiles. Your brother Fred had the number 9908 8820, Vince had number 9908 8823, and you had number 9908 8824. Is this true? These cards were all switched on 19 August this year. Where did you get these cards George? And what did you need them for, if you have a mobile phone registered in your name ending 3741, what did you need with another number 9908 8824? It clearly means to us, George, that the numbers acquired on 19 August were for you, your brother, and Vince to communicate. As a matter of fact, the records show that the calls made, were indeed between you three, there were no other calls on these numbers, incoming or outgoing except between you, your brother, and Vince. Is this true?
Silence.
— On 15 October, the number 8824 goes to Bidnija at 11.30pm. This was the day before Daphne was killed, the day before 16 October of this year. You went back home at 1.30am and returned to Bidnija at 1.40am, and while you were in Bidnija, the other line ending 37, 36, erm, 3752, 9968 3752 is switched on and the GSM module is turned on, at the same time you are in Bidnija. Is this true George? And not only were you there, but there was Vince and your brother Fred in Bidnija. Now the question is obvious, what were you all doing in Bidnija at that time, so early, on 16 October this year? In fact, we know you were in Bidnija because you received a phone call, eight seconds in all, the first at 1.30am and the second one 13 seconds later from 9908 8820. This is
the number we know your brother Fred was using, so he phones you when he was in Bidnija. He was checking that it was safe for you, wasn’t he? And it seems that it was you and Vince, you were the two who went to place the bomb inside Daphne’s car. Is this true? Can you, for example, tell us how you opened the car, George? Perhaps you acquired a copy of the car key, or did you have some tools to help you open the car?
Silence.
— Now look here, George. Yesterday you were all there, these are the photos, document KK2. This is you, there is an 11-page set of photos taken on 28 November, a week ago, while you were at work. You, your brother Alfred, and Vince under the potato shed where Alfred’s boat is moored, the one named Maya. The green shed, more photos, photo number 5, you have the boat with the fenders up front. This is your brother Alfred’s boat. What would you all be doing there, George? No idea? Nothing? Then let me help you out.
— Document KK4 contains a series of stills from CCTV cameras at Grand Harbour.
— 16 October, 8am, you board your brother’s boat and start heading out of Grand Harbour. At the same time, your brother is in Bidnija. He remains there from the moment the bomb is placed, all night, until the bomb explodes. Is this true? Let me show you photos in Document KK4; these are stills, taken from the CCTV cameras of Grand Harbour on 16 October at 7am and at 9.50am. There is your brother Fred’s boat going out, but we know it was you who was on board, George. Maybe it is from far off, true. There, that’s later. These are two stills taken from the video recording, they are more obvious, your boat leaving. You are an amateur fisherman, George, strictly speaking, but did you really go fishing that day? Tell me, can you confirm you went fishing that day?
— (Inspector Zahra) That’s right, towards the sea, George. That morning you were looking towards the sea.
— (Inspector Arnaud resumes) And we know all this because you bought three numbers […] and maybe with good reason because you might have known we’d listen to your phone calls, our colleagues strictly speaking. So, you didn’t want us to know what was going on and to a certain degree you succeeded. Luckily your credit expired, George, we know that while you were out at sea you had a little problem, your credit expired and you needed somebody to purchase a top-up and to send you the top-up voucher and [in fact] we have the phone call, I can let you hear it. You are talking to the [other] person, Ramon Gusman, asking him to buy you a credit voucher. Let me play the phone call for you, George.
A recording of a phone call which took place on 16 October at 8.58am is played.
— You tried but you didn’t succeed, […] and here’s where you phone your friend Miguel Caruana. This is the call you made from the same number 9962 3741 at 9.01am, practically two minutes after you spoke to the first person and you phoned [number] and this is the second phone call.
A recording of a second phone call is played.
— Why were you in such a hurry, George? Why did you need that top-up quickly? And after all, I’m sorry, if you were just out enjoying a quiet day of fishing, why couldn’t you return to dry land and top up yourself? Malta is small. It wouldn’t have been a problem to find a place where you could take care of it, right? But most importantly, George, do you remember what number you wanted to top up? The one that you used exclusively to communicate with your brother and with Vince. And do you know why? Because that morning you needed that SIM card, George. You needed it and how! And as you say, you needed it right away. Look here, after the top-up you started exchanging text messages with your brother. And do you know where your brother was? In Bidnija. And do you know what the cell phone signals tell us? That he had been there since the night before. He hadn’t budged. Why not, George? What had poor Fred been doing there, since Sunday night?
— (Inspector Zahra) Indeed, George…
— (Inspector Arnaud resumes) All right, now, George, that morning you and your brother effed up again. You thought that, if you were out at sea, no one could track you. So you decided to get even smarter. Just to be safe, at 2.55pm you turned the boat around and started to steer the Maya towards Grand Harbour. Because, as your cell phone records show, your brother alerted you that Daphne had left the house and so you thought that, since you were soon going to have to send the text to trigger the bomb, it would be better to get to a point on the water where you couldn’t be seen or caught by the TV cameras along the coast. But, instead, something unexpected happened. Daphne forgot her cheque book in the house. She went back in and then came back out. She wasted some time. And in the meantime, your brother called you. You talked for about 40 seconds. But in the meantime, the boat had been steered to a point that was visible to the security cameras. Under the Siege Bell. Where, at that point, you were forced to stop. Because you had to send that text message. Look, George, look at the photographs that I’ve just laid on the table. They were taken at 2.55.39pm on 16 October. The Maya was stationary under the Siege Bell. And you were there. On board.
Silence.
— And do you know, George, why the boat was stationary? Tell me, do you know? It was stationary because you had to stop it. Because in order to sail a boat, you need to have at least one hand free for the tiller. But instead, your hands were both occupied at that moment. In fact, take a look at what happened in those minutes, George. Do you remember? At a little after 2.55pm your brother Fred called you on the SIM card you asked your friend to top up and the conversation lasted 107 seconds. Until the exact moment of the explosion. The time it took for Daphne to get back in her car and head out to the paved road. So think it over again, George. You were on the boat and, with one hand, you held the cell phone up to your ear so you could talk to Fredu, who was supposed to tell you the exact moment to blow up the car Daphne was driving. And with the other hand, you held the other phone you were using to send the text message to set off the bomb, REL 1 = ON. That’s right. That’s the way it went, George. Right? In fact, I’ll tell you something else. I think you stayed on the phone to Alfred to hear the explosion, live. To be sure that your work was successful.
Silence.
— Now, here’s where you made another mistake George […] as you were going back in. When the SMS was sent and it was confirmed that Daphne had been killed, your brother Fredu threw away the mobile phone, and his mobile phone has not been found. Vince il-Koħħu threw away his mobile phone and his mobile phone has not been found. In fact the activity stops there, there is no further record of those two cell phones. You make the mistake of leaving yours on, 9908 8824, […] and at 3.45pm, it sends a location update. You were at the potato shed, where you moored the boat. You were back on land. Where, on land? The Regatta Club, in Marsa, at Lighters’ Wharf, where you moor the boat and [again] at 3.59pm. Earlier, at 3.30pm you send a message to your woman, your partner, what do you say to her? To open a bottle of wine so you could celebrate. Do you remember this, George? What was there to celebrate George, at 3.30pm, before you came in, or as you made it to shore, because you had probably made shore by that time. What did you want to celebrate, George, at 3.30pm? Were you so happy that Daphne was dead, tell me? Can you tell me what you wanted to celebrate? What’s to celebrate with this, George? ‘Open a bottle of wine’ or something. ‘Buy me wine, my love,’ you told her.
Silence.
— 3.32pm, you send an SMS to 9991 7216, which was the mobile phone number written with a ballpen on your arm yesterday. That’s what you yourself told me at the time of your arrest, that it was your woman’s. […] And the last mistake was made by you too, George, because you threw away the phone with the number 9908 8824, just like your brother and Vince did. But do you know where you ditched it? Underneath the boat, near the potato shed. You [made] all these mistakes George, nobody else made them and all I am telling you is what you did, that’s why you are here, George. Thanks to the mistakes you [made]. Yesterday, as you can see, we sent in the army’s divers and there under the boat you were steering on 16 October, under where you liked to fish. Thanks to the mistake you made […] the army divers found a No
kia cell phone with IMEI number (serial number) 35601208473978. The same one which bore SIM card 9908 8824 on 16 October and the previous months, from 19 August. The same one which you used to call Mike, Miguel Caruana, on 16 October for a credit voucher. It was found yesterday, George, and it was not the only one. You throw so many phones away, and when I say ‘you’ I mean you and Vince because Vince’s phone was found in the water as well, some eight mobile phones were found there. You ‘lose’ cell phones and you catch fish, and another one with IMEI number 35213407478104 bore the SIM card 9962 3741, which was yours.
Silence.
— As you can see, George, we’re dealing with facts here. Incontrovertible technical evidence. The discovery of the corpus delicti in several feet of water, near your brother’s boat, the boat you took out on the morning of 16 October. These facts aren’t just hearsay. No one will ever be able to say, ‘I must have been confused’, ‘I misremembered’, ‘Oh this actually means something else.’ Eh, no. So I think you’d be wiser to tell me what you have to say about all this.
Silence.
— What do you have to say to all this George? All we’ve done is tell you the result (and what a result) of our investigation, George? These are records we are talking about, and not whether somebody saw you, maybe they were mistaken, maybe we have a doubt. These are facts we collected from the service providers, facts retrieved by the army divers yesterday. What was the reason, for example, that we did not find the keys to the room and your mobile phones, your mobile phone disappeared? Were you aware that we were coming for you?