Mask found at residence of third man arraigned

During a search in the residence of Gozitan Benny Attard the police found a mask that matched the description given by two men charged with the murder of warden Fortunata Spiteri.

The two men, John Attard and Guzeppi Farrugia, had told the police that Benny Attard was wearing a mask during the murder, a court heard yesterday.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera was hearing Inspector Angelo Caruana give an overview of the investigations that led to the arrest of Attard, 46, of Xaghra, the third man to be charged with the murder of the warden in Gharb on August 10, 2001.

Police investigations had initially led to the arraignment of John Attard and Farrugia but the latter passed away during the proceedings.

The police already had indications that Benny Attard was also allegedly involved in the murder but until recently did not have enough evidence to charge him in court.

Inspector Antonello Grech told the court that Benny Attard had been arrested on November 24 at Mount Carmel Hospital, where he was staying because he had nowhere else to live.

He was arrested after the police received information, which was later confirmed before the inquiring magistrate, that the accused had told a warden at Mount Carmel Hospital that he was involved in Spiteri's murder.

He had also explained that the murder weapon was now in "the Mediterranean Sea", indicating that it had been thrown into the sea.

When the accused was initially interrogated at the police headquarters, he had denied involvement but later admitted that on the morning of the murder he met John Attard in his bus and the latter had told him: "Tonight we will kill her".

He said that John Attard had promised to pay him Lm5,000 but he never received this money.

During interrogation the accused explained to the police that John Attard had picked him up in his car and together with Farrugia and Maria Attard, the accused's sister, had gone to the scene of the murder.

Describing how the killing had taken place, the accused described how he held the warden down while John Attard stabbed her repeatedly.

Benny Attard managed to describe in great detail the stab wounds inflicted on the victim, including the fact that one of the wounds resulted in a tear in the victim's stomach.

He added that while the victim was escaping into her car, she had other wounds inflicted on her hands.

The case continues.

The prosecution is led by Superintendent Pierre Calleja with the assistance of Inspectors Antonello Grech and Angelo Caruana.

The accused was assisted by Dr Mario Scerri.