Club barman says he hid Il-Bona's gun 'on the spur of the moment'

Paul Borg, the former barman at the PN club in Marsaxlokk, explained this morning how he hid a revolver belonging to Anthony Borg (Il-Bona) 'at the spur of the moment' after If-Bona was fatally stabbed near the club.

Testifying in the trial of Alan Galea, who stands accused of the 2010 murder, Mr Borg recounted how Il-Bona and his brother used to frequent his bar. 

On the day Il-Bona was enjoying himself at the bar. His brother, Francis and his partner had been there since 11am and Bona joined them at about 1pm.

Shortly before 6pm they asked him for Mr Galea's phone number, but he did not have it. Il-Bona took out one of his mobile phones, and somehow obtained the number. Bona was then heard telling Mr Galea  “Come over because I want to have a word with you”.

At about 5 pm the group left the bar after giving him a €30 tip.

As he was closing up  the incident happened.

“I went out and saw a man in the middle of the square face up, and heard Frans (il-Bona's brother) shouting that his brother had been killed”.

He added that Frans and his partner gave him a weapon (which he recognised in court) telling him to keep it, and on the spur on the moment he hid it under a boat, near the public convenience. Later he hid it in the whereabouts of the Kirkop tunnel near the airport.  

Asked by the court, he clarified that he barely touched it.

“I was taken completely by surprise when  I found myself immersed in a case which I had nothing to do with,” he said

The following day the police asked him for the weapon, and he did so immediately.

“I paid a heavy price as I end up without a job," the witness said, holding back tears.   

He said the accused Alan Galea  also used to frequent the bar for some time.

About three weeks before the murder, he had been drinking at the bar with his daughter and partner and had an exchange with Il-Bona, who then left all of a sudden.

Sometime later Frans had told the barman his brother  had had an argument with the accused.  

At this stage the prosecution read part of the police statement given by the witness in 2010, when the witness had given a different version of events.

Back then the barman had recalled seeing the accused in an inebriated state and grabbing the victim from his choker, before Il-Bona left.

“Which is the correct version?”, the judge asked the witness.

The barman could not give an explanation, saying the accused was “renowned” for engaging in horse play even with strangers.