Updated | Over 100 witnesses expected to testify in 1996 bank heist case

The criminal trial of George Xuereb, accused of taking part in the attempted hold-up of the St. Andrews branch of the Mid-Med Bank in 1996, began today.

The trial concerns the foiled hold-up of a branch of Mid-Med Bank in March 1996.  The hold-up, which would have netted the robbers LM100,000 (€232,400) was allegedly carried out by three masked robbers – Carmel Spiteri, Joseph Polidano and Xuereb.

Spiteri and Polidano have already been jailed for their part in the robbery. Xuereb is liable, on conviction, to up to twenty years imprisonment.

The three gained access to the bank after violently assaulting the policeman at the door, holding him against the ground at gunpoint.

The hold-up was interrupted by members of the Police mobile squad who, providentially, happened to be inflating a car tyre at an adjacent petrol station. While making their escape, one of the robbers took a revolver from the guard and, when ordered to surrender, used it to shoot and injure a policeman.

A shootout ensued. Two of the robbers were hit by rounds fired by the police, but all three managed to escape in a stolen van.

The van was stolen some days prior and the criminals had switched the van’s numberplate with another stolen one.The van was later found in Ross Street in Paceville.

Witnesses told the police that they saw a man limping away from the van. The injured man, who turned out to be Joseph Polidano, rested against a wall to avoid holding up his fellow criminals and was the first to be arrested.

Carmel Spiteri did not return to his residence after the hold up and was arrested at an Qormi residence owned by George Xuereb’s uncle.

Xuereb, 49, looked on from the dock as the seven men and five women of the jury were explained their duties by Judge Michael Mallia.  Prosecutor Lara Lanfranco, from the office of the Attorney General, then explained the different charges to the jurors.

Xuereb stands charged with attempted theft, aggravated by violence, means, place and amount; attempted homicide; theft of a firearm aggravated by violence and means; theft of a van, aggravated by amount and nature of the thing stolen and of being in possession of a controlled weapon without the necessary permit.

The trial is expected to be a lengthy affair, featuring testimony from over 100 witnesses.

Ex-Assistant Police Commissioner, Bartolomeo Mula described how he heard a radio call regarding the hold up and had gone to investigate. Mula found Polidano sitting on a bench in Spinola.

Mula then spoke to Maurice Laferla, the policeman on guard duty that day, in hospital. Mula was told how the three masked men abandoned their attempt so he ran searches on the van.

Mula testified how he found the Toyota van with false number plates parked irregularly with the masks underneath. The van was found to contain boiler suits and plastic bags covered in fingerprints belonging to Xuereb.

Two English witnesses told Mula that they had seen two persons helping Polidano to walk in the street. The holidaymakers had thought that Polidano was injured in a traffic accident or mugging, but could not remember the persons’ faces.

A nearby blood trail lead him to Polidano.

Lara Lanfranco and Kevin Valletta are prosecuting. Rafael Fenech Adami is representing Xuereb.