Four soldiers, including a major, who were on duty during last month’s drug heist from an AFM barracks, refused to testify in court on Monday.

Last month, 132kg of cannabis resin held inside a sealed container at the Safi barracks was stolen by thieves who managed to enter the secured Armed Forces of Malta area. 

The drugs were held by the AFM at the request of the Court Services Agency and were part of a larger seizure of cannabis resin made at the Malta Freeport last June.

Officials initially determined that 226kg of cannabis was missing, but last week, forensic examiners confirmed that 132kg was the amount stolen.

Sean Attard from Żebbuġ, Carlos Pace from Marsa, Yousef Essesi from St Paul’s Bay, Cleaven Pace from Marsa, Liam Stewart from Pieta and Christa Gauci have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Yousef Essesi, one of six people charged in connection with the heist. Photo: Times of Malta

The compilation of evidence against the six people continued on Monday afternoon. In front of Magistrate Elaine Rizzo, the four AFM soldiers, assisted by lawyers Herman Mula and Albert Zerafa, all declined to testify. No reason was given to the court.

On the day of the heist, one of the soldiers’ jobs was to watch over the security cameras throughout the night.

Dorian Attard, the mother of Sean Attard, assisted by her lawyer Julia Micallef Stafrace, also declined to testify.

Last week, she refused to testify stating that she wanted to consult her lawyer first. On Monday, she once again said she did not want to testify against her son.

Police inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca also questioned Moira Vassallo, Yousef Essesi’s ex-partner.

Vassallo said that the car, a Toyota Belta, Essesi used at the time of the robbery was registered under her name.

She said he had bought the vehicle in December when they were still in a relationship and he had registered the car under her name because “he had no other choice”. The relationship ended in the same month.

She said she had asked him to remove the car from her name many times, but she said he always dismissed her requests as “a joke”.

When asked how she knew the car was still registered under her name, she said she started to receive a lot of fines for the car, which she had no possession over.

Earlier, two police officers who were part of the process of arresting the accused also testified.

Lawyer Franco Debono, defence for the accused, asked for bail for the six accused, emphasising bail for Christa Gauci, who he said has clean conduct.

The prosecution objected to the bail request, stating that more witnesses had to take the stand and that a large amount of drugs which were stolen still have not been found and investigations are still ongoing.

Last week, the DNA of the two men accused was found on torches lifted from the scene.

Investigators also reported that CCTV footage recorded between midnight and 2am on the night of the robbery showed two figures entering the barracks three times through a hole in a fence to carry the stolen drugs in shopping baskets from a container to a waiting car.

The police were able to track the cars to a garage in Żebbuġ through the use of CCTV footage - where they found most of the stolen drugs.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Matthew Xuereb, Marion Camilleri, Amadeus Cachia, and Adreana Zammit appeared for the accused. Police Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca, Alfredo Mangion and Jeffrey Scicluna Briffa prosecuted along with Attorney General lawyer Francesca Spiteri and Kevin Valletta.

The case continues on Thursday.