Updated 10.30am
A pensioner running a pawnbroker's shop was on Friday charged with possession of antique vases and a clock stolen from Valletta's Grand Master's Palace.
Anthony, also known as Tony Stivala, 67, from Iklin, admitted to handling stolen property, knowing that the items were cultural property belonging to the government of Malta.
Police traced the items to his home on Thursday. They were found wrapped in towels and in "perfect condition", court was told.
Stivala said that he was not aware they were stolen.
On Friday he pleaded guilty, confirming his plea after being given ample time to reconsider. He was declared guilty and handed a two-year jail term suspended for four years.
His defence lawyer declared that there would be no appeal.
Stivala is the second person to be charged over the theft and is expected to testify against an architect involved in the restoration of the palace and who is believed to have stolen the artefacts.
Last month, Ljubica Zivkovic, 52, from Serbia, denied charges of aggravated theft, unlawful possession of the cultural artefacts acquired illegally and breaching probation for similar offences.
The architect, who also lives in Iklin, was a project manager who worked for a restoration company involved in works at the palace, according to sources.
She joined in the last six months of the project, handling last-minute civil works.
'Crime committed when he heard of theft in media'
Prosecuting Inspector Christina Delia informed the court that of the four items allegedly stolen from the palace only three had been retrieved.
The fourth item - a 20th-century vase worth some €300 - was still missing.
When making submissions on punishment, his lawyer Roberto Spiteri, explained that the crime was only committed when Stivala heard about the theft in the media and failed to step forward.
Perhaps because he never had a brush with the law, Stivala erred on the side of caution, choosing not to disclose the items to police “so as not to inflate the matter”.
But he had now learnt his lesson.
Court was told that Stivala’s children had prepared some forms to be filled in by customers taking items to the pawn shop, declaring that they were not stolen property.
Unfortunately, their father had been “negligent” in using those forms, remarked the lawyer.
It was not the first time people took antiques to his shop for a valuation or as pawns. The alleged author of the theft - Zivkovic - had been to his shop several times.
The prosecutor said that the total value of the stolen items was €13,000 less some €350 of the still missing vase.
But AG lawyer Nicholas Degaetano argued that since that value was calculated by Heritage Malta and not court experts, the value was “doubtful”.
Prosecuting Inspector Delia pointed out that the value was forwarded in Heritage Malta’s report.
After hearing submissions on punishment, the court, presided over by Magistrate Leonard Caruana, declared the accused guilty.
Upon delivery of judgment, the court warned the accused to be careful because “it’s obvious that you’re not understanding what you are facing”.
“I'll just close shop and stay at home in peace,” the soft-spoken man said, nodding in understanding.
AG lawyer Nicholas Degaetano, together with Inspectors Christina Delia, Jeffrey Rizzo and Debra Camilleri for the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage prosecuted.
Lawyers Roberto Spiteri and Joanna Scerri were defence counsel.