Defence says informant probably planted bomb

The defence counsel of a man standing trial for trying to kill a police officer and his family by planting a bomb at their house told jurors yesterday he was convinced the man who led the police to his client had done the job himself.

Dr John Attard Montalto, for Emanuel Camilleri, said he believed the late Marco Abdilla, who released a police statement saying Camilleri told him he had planted the bomb outside Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar's house, was the actual perpetrator.

"I think Marco Abdilla knew so many things about the bomb because, I am convinced, he planted it. You might think this is a long shot. I think it's more probable that Marco Abdilla planted it than anyone else," Dr Attard Montatlo said.

He was making his case to jurors in the trial by jury of Camilleri, 40, of Mqabba, who is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of the police officer and his family and endangering their lives when he caused an explosion on May 23, 1994.

Camilleri, known as Leli l-Bully, is also pleading not guilty to trafficking in heroin and cocaine between May 1994 and June 1998 and seriously injuring Abdilla - now deceased - when he shot him in the leg on March 21, 1998.

In a lengthy address, Dr Attard Montalto, who is representing Camilleri with Dr Michael Sciriha, went through the evidence brought forward by the prosecution outlining weaknesses in the prosecution's case which, he said, "was built on sand".

In a statement to the police, which he later confirmed under oath, Abdilla had said that Camilleri told him he had planted the bomb and had even showed it to him. He then described it to the police.

Dr Attard Montatlo argued that the only explanation was that Abdilla, "who had an ingrained intelligence for playing with people", knew so much about the bomb because he planted it.

A month-and-a-half before the explosion, the police officer had arrested Abdilla over drugs and Abdilla knew he would be the prime suspect. The defence counsel added that Abdilla had played a game with the police and changed his versions to suit his needs. He added that Abdilla's criminal record was like an A to Z of crimes that ranged from assaulting officers to hold-ups.

He emphasised that his client should have never been charged on the basis of Abdilla's claims. "The prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. I can't believe it tried to base a case on the version of such an unreliable witness," Dr Attard Montalto said.

The trial continues this morning.