• Soldier manning CCTV cameras was watching a film on his tablet
• Colleague was fast asleep, in breach of orders
• Entire theft was captured on barracks CCTV 
• Drugs were not destroyed because an incinerator developed a fault
• Minister had nothing to do with the decision to relocate drugs 
• Brigadier's suspension lifted 

Updated 7.30pm with PN reaction below. 

A soldier responsible for minding 35 CCTV cameras at the Safi barracks was watching a film on a tablet with earphones on while thieves broke into a container and stole over 100kg of cannabis. 

The soldier's failings - and those of his colleague who was asleep instead of resting and ready to step in - were to blame for the February 24 heist,  according to an administrative inquiry published on Tuesday.  

Led by retired Judge Geoffrey Valenzia, the inquiry found that the entire barracks was covered by 35 CCTV cameras, with no blind spots.

But the soldier responsible for overseeing those cameras watched a film, spent time on the phone with his girlfriend, cooked and ate food in a kitchenette and failed to conduct patrols or check the container between 11.25pm and 2.50am on the night of the robbery. 

"Had he done his job he would have noticed the heist had happened, or was happening," the report concluded.

"The soldier had a functioning system that he knew how to use. He couldn't have missed anything."

The inquiry said it was a remarkable "coincidence" that thieves chose to breach a perimeter fence, break into a sealed container and make multiple trips over almost three hours on a night when soldiers were distracted and not monitoring cameras. 

The theft was clearly captured on those cameras, the inquiry noted.

"For almost three hours the thieves worked without disturbance, making repeated trips [to and from the container], and even transported drugs to a garage in Żebbuġ before returning to Safi to continue the heist, as if they knew nobody was watching," the inquiry found.

A second soldier who was supposed to be resting nearby was asleep during the entire period, further contributing to the security lapse.

"Had he not slept, he would have noticed that his colleague was not constantly monitoring and doing the rounds," the judge noted. 

Moreover, the soldier monitoring the cameras told investigators he watched the film with headphones so that he would not wake up his colleague who was asleep.

Byron Camilleri not to blame

The inquiry also absolved Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri of blame. 

Camilleri was made aware of the situation but did not directly involve himself in the decision-making process of whether or not to store the drugs at the AFM facility, the inquiry found. 

"The role of the minister is not to get involved in investigations or decisions on matters of security measures," it concluded.

"There are people in the country who are trained by the state to handle the country's security. The role of the minister is policy, not security technicalities."

The inquiry also found the police did their job diligently for as long as the drugs were in their responsibility. They were tasked with guarding the drugs at various stages and were involved in the overall handling of the drugs, but the direct responsibility for the security breach at the AFM barracks fell on the soldiers on duty, not the police.

What about the Army?

The inquiry found that AFM Brigadier Clinton O'Neill ran a risk assessment before he accepted the container of cannabis on army property.

He declined the offer of a police fixed point, arguing that the site's security was already more sophisticated than that. He had three soldiers doing patrols and manning over 30 CCTV cameras equipped with night vision technology, as well as a perimeter fence around the site.

However, none of the security measures worked, the judge concluded.

"The cameras alone, although beneficial, are not enough if the other parts of the system do not work," the report noted.

"You cannot rely solely on the cameras. There are always residual risks, such as cutting through the fence or human failure, and measures must be taken to prevent these too."

It did not seem there was a contingency plan for these, the report found, despite the most senior AFM officials saying they made a risk assessment with all the necessary studies for the secure keeping of the container.

"This was a serious case, not only because a huge amount of drugs were stolen, but also because there was a breach at a site that is meant to be secure."

He also noted other shortcomings. Two skips were partially covering the container and the site also had burnt-out floodlights that should have long been replaced.

Both issues were fixed after the heist.

"It was also evident that the container locks were not enough, and in fact, three bars have been welded to the container door since the heist."

Soldiers also failed to document patrols and monitoring as they should have.

The inquiry also concluded that while the Court Agency was involved in the decision to move the drugs to the AFM and facilitated the process, it did so following normal procedures. The responsibility for the security of the facility fell on the AFM.

The inquiry

Led by retired judge Geoffrey Valenzia, the administrative inquiry was tasked with looking into why over 100kg of cannabis seized from the Malta Freeport was being held at an AFM facility in Safi, what security precautions were taken to ensure the drug was safely held and how the AFM, freeport and other entities interacted throughout.

Valenzia was also asked to make recommendations to address any regulatory or administrative shortcomings he identified.

Six people have been charged in connection with the February 24 robbery, which saw criminals cut a fence at the Safi barracks and then shuttle blocks of cannabis resin into getaway vehicles before escaping.

The theft was only discovered during a routine patrol of the facility later that same night.

Four army officials who were on duty that night, including a major, refused to testify in court this week.

AFM commander  Clinton O'Neill was immediately suspended on half-pay.  Within minutes of publishing the inquiry on Tuesday, the government announced that O'Neill was being reinstated. 

What the judge recommended

Valenzia found there is a lack of secure storage facilities where drugs can be held pending destruction.

Destruction is also problematic, as authorities must rely on an ageing Wasteserv incinerator in Marsa that is ill-equipped for that purpose.

Destroying drugs that way is time-consuming, as police and a magistrate must be present and the process takes several hours.

In this case, the drugs were not destroyed because the incinerator developed a fault.

While court authorities were under the impression that the fault would take months to fix, Wasteserv told the inquiry that the incinerator was back up and running within a few weeks. But the apparent miscommunication meant that the destruction was never resumed.

The judge recommended a better solution for drug destruction, possibly through investment in a new incinerator or the exploration of alternative technologies. The judge even suggested exploring the possibility of exporting drugs seized for destruction. 

In the meantime, drugs awaiting destruction should be stored in secure facilities at the incinerator site.

Any other drugs left in the Safi container should be destroyed, he advised, as images of the site published on social media following the heist have exposed the sensitive content held there.

The judge also suggested installing CCTV cameras to monitor soldiers whose job it is to monitor CCTV cameras, to make sure they are doing their job.

He also suggested the installation of intrusion alarms around the perimeter fence and other spots where it might be necessary.

PN insists Camilleri should assume political responsibility and resign

The Nationalist Party said in a reaction to the inquiry report that the government that has hijacked the institutions was continuing to hide behind a report to avoid taking political responsibility for its failures

The report had exposed major failures, yet Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri was shifting the blame onto others instead of taking responsibility.

The report, it said, highlighted conflicting versions from different government entities, as happened when institutions were controlled by those pulling the strings.

The PN said Byron Camilleri was responsible for the breakdown within the Armed Forces of Malta’s command structure and should assume political responsibility.

The fact that Camilleri had remained in office and that Robert Abela did not accept his so-called resignation was yet another certificate of failure for a government that had let down everyone except itself.

The statement was signed by Darren Carabott, shadow minister for home affairs.