Court hears police evidence on office shooting

A Gharghur businessman admitted to shooting his former business partner during an argument over money but insisted it had been the other man who had produced the gun and pointed it at him, a police inspector said in court yesterday.

Inspector Daniel Zammit explained that when Giosue Gauci was questioned by the police he admitted to shooting Ronald Azzopardi but insisted that it was Azzopardi who had produced a gun from his desk.

The inspector was testifying before Magistrate Saviour Demicoli in the compilation of evidence against Gauci, 58, who is pleading not guilty to trying to kill Azzopardi and seriously injuring him in Sliema on February 8 at about 10.30 a.m.

He is also pleading not guilty to the possession of an unlicensed firearm at the time of the commission of the crime.

The police inspector, who is also the prosecuting officer in the case, explained how on February 8 at about 10.30 a.m. the Sliema police were informed that there had been a shooting incident near the Diplomat Hotel and a man had been injured.

Officers went on the scene where they learnt that Azzopardi was taken to hospital by his wife and secretary. At hospital it was established that he suffered from serious injuries but was not in danger of dying.

Preliminary investigations revealed that during the shooting Azzopardi was in his Sliema office in a meeting with Gauci who had been his business partner some years earlier.

That day at about 1 p.m. the police arrested Gauci who admitted firing the gun at Azzopardi during an argument over "a considerable amount of money", insisting that it was Azzopardi who had produced the gun.

Gauci also said he had thrown the gun out of his car, in Old College Street, when he left the office but when the police searched the area they did not find it.

Gauci also told the police that about two years ago he sold all his shares in Sovereign Hotels Limited to Azzopardi but Azzopardi did not have enough money to run the business and so Gauci loaned him about Lm30,000.

Azzopardi eventually issued cheques for repayment but they were not honoured by the bank. On the day of the incident he went to Azzopardi's office but Azzopardi did not want to pay up.

The police also spoke to Azzopardi in hospital. He said that a few years ago he was Gauci's business partner but when Gauci went bankrupt Azzopardi bought shares off him and ran the business alone.

There was an agreement that Azzopardi would pay Gauci over 20 years.

When asked about the incident Azzopardi said he was sitting at his desk with Gauci when an argument arose, Gauci punched him and soon after produced a gun.

When Azzopardi turned to leave the room Gauci shot him in the right side of his back, chased him down the stairs and fired a second shot but missed.

At the end of yesterday's sitting Magistrate Demicoli granted Gauci bail against a Lm10,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of Lm20,000.

The magistrate also ruled there were enough reasons for Gauci's indictment.