The lies began with Mallia’s driver

Published: November 26, 2014 at 5:20pm

Manuel Mallia’s driver was arraigned in court under arrest this afternoon and charged with attempted murder among other things.

In Times of Malta:

Prosecution officer Saviour Baldacchio from the CID said that Mr Sheehan had initially been arrested at Msida police station but then released after making a statement to the police.

He said the police investigation had not tallied with his version of events and an arrest warrant was then requested.

In other words, they did arrest him that night but released him after he gave a statement. Compare and contrast to Steve Morrison Smith who was held for around 40 hours.

They then discovered that Sheehan had lied and they obtained an arrest warrant – which, I assume, was the one they would have executed a couple of days ago had he not been taken to hospital with ‘chest pains’.

How long did it take the police to realise he was lying, given that the bullet entry holes in the car were immediately visible that same night to the whole of Malta via video footage?




51 Comments Comment

  1. mim says:

    When members of the public had expressed outrage at some police issues in the past, they were routinely mocked and told that the public see too much CSI and that real life is different.

    Well, this time it seems that the public looked at the clues and came to the right conclusion. Perhaps the police should see more CSI?

    Presumably there must also be a charge of obstructing a police investigation then and lying to the police?

  2. Wheels within wheels says:

    Consider how quickly Muscat dumped Anglu Farrugia when he saw him as a liability after one dismal performance on TVM using the false pretext of a comment he made about a magistrate.

    Then consider how Muscat is waffling on this matter rather then summarily forcing Mallia to resign.

    You really have to wonder what is it that Mallia has on Joseph Muscat.

  3. Optimist says:

    Miskin he had to go back to the hospital. Chest pains. His chest sure was OK when he fired off those rounds in his rage.

    • ciccio says:

      Don Manuel will now declare another amnesty.

      Do I hear you ask “Reason for the amnesty”?

      Easy. The revelation of the power station milestone schedule by Konrat Mizzi.

  4. Kif inhi din? says:

    Mallia must be hoping that Kon-rat, beraq u sajjetti steals the limelight with another milestone PowerPoint presentation about a powerstation.

  5. wacko says:

    Best comment I have seen: “Fellows Let me Him Rest A Bit Mr’ Charl.. Sheen, PlZzzz”.

    One wonders what the chest pain comes from… let me think…

  6. Tabatha White says:

    Difficult to believe anything at the moment and under this Government.

    Both remote past / immediate past and current track records are horrendous on this score.

  7. Gladio says:

    May be he is suffering from withdrawal symptoms for the lack of his daily intake of Red Bull.

    • observer says:

      Was he suffering from such withdrawal symptoms the other day when the investigating magistrate and a group of police officers went to talk to him at his mother’s house?

      He had not, then, been away from Red Bull intake for a whole day as he has probably been to-day.

      Perhaps this afternoon he suffered chest pains after crying his heart out in one corner of the Court room.

    • ken il malti says:

      The man needs an intravenous caffeine drip 24/7.

  8. pocoyo says:

    Miami Vice

  9. Denis says:

    Did he have special treatment, no handcuffs?

  10. ciccio says:

    For the first time in his life, Don Manwel Mallia is in the dock.

    In Times of Malta’s online poll 70% of the public jury has proclaimed that he is politically guilty.

    As the judge of political law responsible for respecting the decision of the public jury, Joseph Muscat has no option but to read him the sentence: “You are sacked for life.”

  11. Jozef says:

    Released following a statement. Statement did not tally.

    Now how did Mallia miss that one the following day? Kurt was there.

    Indeed how did Muscat let himself be lied to? Because Muscat obviously didn’t lie, did he.

    I think he has a problem with his head of communications, the police commissioner and the minister.

    Issa sew.

  12. Jojo says:

    Probably Mallia has to pay his bail money, gonna cost him

  13. Nostradamus says:

    Nbassar li dal-lejl, Sheehan jgħid lil-infermiera li jixtieq imut. Għada jaraħ il-psikjatra ġewwa mater dei u jibgħatu monte carmeli għal ftit mistrieħ

  14. Jozef says:

    http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-26/local-news/Speaker-calls-on-PN-media-to-correct-claim-on-security-personnel-accompanying-PM-6736126422

    ‘..The Speaker also took steps to enforce the removal of a Facebook photo of the House taken during a sitting by PN president Anne Fenech…’

    X’gharukaza. Mn’Alla kien Cyrus, dawn l-abbuzi kollha.

  15. Jack Beans says:

    Maybe it took them long to arraign him because his (Sheehan’s) version corroborated their Ministry’s statement of the facts and therefore they were in a dilemma which way their action should go.

  16. Mila says:

    This is surreal.

    Sheehan’s lawyer, who is now Dr. Edward Gatt (surpirise, surprise) asks why the investigating officers did not do their work.

    “…Dr Gatt later said that his questions included why his client had not been arrested until today, and why his mobile phone had not been seized by the police, as typically occurs in cases of alleged attempted murder.” The Malta Independent.

    “As a result, the accused had become a political football.” TOM quotes Dr. Gatt as saying.

    Times of Malta also says: “Gatt argued that fear of tampering with evidence was non-existent because witnesses had already testified under oath in the magisterial inquiry. (It later emerged, however, that only an eye witness had testified under oath in the magisterial inquiry as the victim, Stephen Smith, had only given a statement to the police.)”

    So I guess it’s a case of let the games begin. How sad for justice in Malta.

    http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-26/local-news/A-week-after-Gzira-shooting-Manuel-Mallia-s-driver-arrested-and-held-for-questioning-6736126378

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141126/local/sheehan-taken-to-hospital-after-court-arraignment-police-investigations-did-not-tally-with-his-version-of-events-prosecution.545793

    • Tabatha White says:

      Of course there was no duress or negotiation by or with the victim’s lawyer prior to “the victim, Stephen Smith,” giving his statement.

  17. Arnold Layne says:

    And the Times of Malta keeps up its good work: the headline is the alleged chest pains not the arraignment. These people don’t realise that they are complicit in the obfuscation. Why do they let themselves be used in this way?

  18. anthony says:

    It is about time everybody stopped lying about this particular case.

    The PM, the Home Affairs Minister, their personal staff, the Police including the A/Commissioner, the state-controlled media.

    Everybody.

    If not, there will soon be an outbreak of mass hysteria in the country manifesting itself as nationwide vomiting.

    Pukemania.

  19. Scorpion0668 says:

    Dawn hasbu li jistaw jergaw jaghmlu frame-up iehor bhal ma ghamlu f’Dicembru ta’l-1986 go Hal Safi. Imma insew li t-teknologija ta’ llum u l-mentalita tal-poplu hija ferm iktar avvanzata minn dak iz-zmien. Jahasra, kemm hasbuna injoranti.

  20. Gaetano Pace says:

    Why does Joseph allow one of his appointed dwarfs outshine Snow White?

    Why does he not ask for explanations from his subordinates but keeps opting for making explanations in public on their behalf endeavouring to exculpate them?

    Why has the Prime Minister of Malta stooped not to conquer but to fall into ridicule?

    Why does he have to cover the pot with a blanket of lies and not its own lid? Is he in the stew as much as the poor rabbit?

    We all know now what a mischievous liar he is. What we do not know is the reason why.

  21. Persil says:

    Chest pain is always serious. It has to be investigated otherwise the authorities will be held responsible for what might happen. Mhux bil- fors daqs dak stress li ghaddej minnu.

  22. Pablo says:

    This government is broken. We have to accept that power corrupts and forever will be there.

    In a sane democracy the rule is that when you are caught or even seen as soiling your public office, you are on your own and you must withdraw and resign.

    The mere fact that your PM has appointed a three-man inquiry into allegations against you automatically makes your resignation a sine qua non. You resign to prove your integrity. You stay on because you have none to lose.

    Honesty must reside with the PM. The buck stops with him. If he starts lying to the public, we are lost.

    A dishonest PM is an ebolic scourge for the simple reason that in short time the public cannot trust him to inform them of the reality of anything.

    If Joseph Muscat is an honest PM he has to sack Mallia now as the latter has not resigned. The country is investigating Mallia and both the PM and Mallia act as if the PM’s inquiry itself is a cover-up.

    It is surprising that the three ex-judges did not make Mallia’s stepping down a condition for accepting to take on the role. I wish them luck having accepted to act under the supervision of the person whom they are to investigate.

  23. John B says:

    Questions were raised as to why Manuel Mallia has armed police escort/driver.

    He defended himself in Parliament this week by saying that the late ex-President Demarco had one and that ex-President Fenech Adami has one and he also mentioned you (Daphne).

    Tajba din, Manwel Mallia was informed by the police of who has an armed escort (I have my doubts whether he has the right to such information) and he informs all and sundry of the security arrangements of others. Very irresponsible behaviour indeed.

    [Daphne – He lied: http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2014/11/the-police-minister-is-a-liar-i-never-had-armed-protection-i-never-even-had-an-unarmed-protection-officer-let-alone-an-armed-one/ ]

  24. willie inatinovic says:

    Even the chest pains are lies.

  25. Tabar says:

    People having chest pains use their hands to clutch at their chest and not to cover their face from the cameras.

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