Former Police Inspector David Gatt was granted bail today against a personal guarantee of €10,000 and a deposit of a further €10,000.

The decision was taken by Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona during compilation of evidence proceedings.

Dr Gatt is alleged to have masterminded several high profile crimes. He has been accused of complicity in the attempted hold-up at the HSBC Malta headquarters at the end of June; the hold-up on a jeweller in Attard in early December, complicity in the attempted hold-up of a bank security van in Qormi in January; and complicity in the successful hold-up at Balzan HSBC branch in November 2007 when some €1m were stolen.

He was also charged with complicity in holding people against their will and helping people wanted by the police including Fabio Psaila, Darren Debono and Vincent Muscat before they were arraigned over the attempted HSBC depot hold-up.

During the proceedings, the defence said there were no reasons for Dr Gatt not to be granted bail and there was nothing to prove that their client was not trustworthy.

Counsel Joe Giglio said that whenever Dr Gatt had a problem, he took the matter to court, as was the case when the courts found that he was unfairly dismissed from the police force.