A mother-of-three who stands accused of having commissioned an arson attack on a Mercedes car in Valletta in November even ordered a taxi for the arsonists, a court heard on Tuesday.
Judith Bakoush, 29, of Valletta was arraigned last week along with Omar Joseph Trabelsi, 30, over their alleged involvement in the arson attack on November 9 at night.
Another man, Ateri Ahmed Al Furjani, a 45-year-old Tripoli-born migrant, residing at the Ħal Far Open Centre was separately charged with complicity in the arson by having procured the fuel and helping to set the car on fire. The fire had necessitated the evacuation of an entire apartment block. No one was injured. A nearby parked car was also damaged.
When testifying on Tuesday, Police Inspector Jeffrey Scicluna explained how a day after the fire, the police received an anonymous tip that Bakoush had commissioned two Syrian men to set the car ablaze and had even booked them a taxi.
The police checked out the taxi company’s bookings for the day and discovered a trip which had ended close to Bakoush’s home.
CCTV footage showed Ahmed al Furjani getting into the taxi and OmarTrabelsi talking to the driver. A police analysis of recordings of phone calls to the taxi company enabled investigators to trace one of the numbers to Bakoush and they recognized the woman’s voice while making the booking, albeit under a false name.
Further evidence showed how one of the men was taken to a petrol station by the taxi driver. Two containers of petrol were bought.
Trabelsi later took the containers from the taxi boot and carried them into Bakoush’ home.
An unidentified man was seen speaking to the driver.
There were five persons at the woman’s home at the time, said the inspector. Other footage showed two persons leaving the house, faces covered.
Trabelsi was seen carrying the fuel-filled cans. When the fire broke out, a person wearing clothes matching those of Trabelsi was seen running away from the scene, face blurred in the footage, the inspector explained.
The other suspect arsonist, Ahmed Al Furjani, was tracked down through a phone call he made to Bakoush while at the petrol station, the inspector continued.
Bakoush was heard telling Trabelsi to “burn it all,” Inspector Scicluna went on.
Following the inspector’s testimony, Magistrate Rachel Montebello upheld a renewed request for bail on behalf of Bakoush, against a deposit of €200, and a personal guarantee of €5,000.
She was ordered to sign the bail book every day and to abide by a curfew. Her co-accused, Trabelsi, was remanded in custody at Mount Carmel Hospital Forensic Unit. The court also issued a Protection Order in favour of the alleged victims.
The case continues.
Lawyers Marion Camilleri and Franco Debono are counsel to Bakoush. Lawyer Yanika Zammit Tabona is counsel to Trabelsi.