Arson attack on mayor’s family home in Żebbuġ

The front door of Żebbuġ mayor Alfred Grixti’s residence was damaged in an arson attack on Wednesday night, just over a month after a telephone caller warned him to protect his wife and look out for car bombs.

The damage could have had been more serious but the water main pipe feeding his house began to leak when it was engulfed by the flames and this helped extinguish the fire.

Mr Grixti said he was at home in Our Lady of Graces Street watching television with his wife when he decided to go downstairs to prepare a hot drink.

As he was going down the stairs at about 10pm he felt his eyes burning, smelt fuel and heard the sound of gushing water.

He ran to the kitchen, thinking something had happened to the plumbing but it was fine, nor was there anything in the yard.

Mr Grixti went back upstairs and saw water gushing into the road from his front garden and a plume of smoke. “It was then I realised that the front door was on fire,” he said, still in shock over what had happened.

Mr Grixti said that, on December 17, someone called him and warned him to protect his wife and look underneath his car for any suspicious packages before entering. He had reported this to the police, who were investigating.

“I think the two are linked and are connected to my role as mayor. I cannot say who (it was) but there are people who expect you to bend the rules to favour them but this is not on. Rules are not there to be broken or bent,” he said.

He said the police found the remains of a washing detergent bottle and a piece of cloth. The fuel used was petrol.

Mr Grixti said he appreciated messages of solidarity he had received, both personally and through the social media.

The southern region of the Local Government Department, the Żebbuġ local council, the Local Councils’ Association and the political parties all condemned the vandal attack.

The police said Duty Magistrate Edwina Grima was informed and was holding an inquiry with the assistance of court experts.