Accused pleads guilty to receiving stolen goods

Joseph Portelli, one of two men arraigned in connection with the theft of the paintings from Judge Giovanni Bonello's house in Valletta, yesterday pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods.

Portelli's lawyer Ian Farrugia informed the court that his client wanted to plead guilty to the charge of receiving stolen goods but was pleading not guilty to taking part in the theft and causing damage to Judge Bonello's property.

One of the police investigators in the case, Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi, testified that Portelli had cooperated fully with the police and his help had led them to accomplices.

In his statements to the police, Portelli had said his brother Dennis, Charles Falzon and Ian Farrugia were involved.

Farrugia is currently remanded in custody after he was separately charged and the court has already declared there appeared to be enough evidence for him to be indicted. Judge Bonello's sister, Anna Xuereb, testified that she used to go to her brother's house every now and then but had no fixed timetable. The last time she had visited was on April 5 and she had not been to the house for about three weeks before that.

Xuereb said she went there with Marthese Borda, who used to help her clean the house. She did not trust anyone with the key and always accompanied Borda.

She then described where the missing paintings had been inside the house, recognising each painting from a list she was given.

She said she saw the empty frame of one the stolen paintings, a priceless work attributed to Caravaggio, still hanging in the entrance of the house. Other frames were upstairs. An antique sofa was damaged as thieves apparently stood on it to pull the paintings off the wall.

Portelli was granted bail against a deposit of Lm2,000, a personal guarantee of Lm15,000 and placed under house arrest.

The case continues.

Inspectors Michael Mallia and Geoffrey Azzopardi prosecuted.