A failed bank heist, Chris Cardona and an inside job

Police investigating the failed heist on HSBC Bank headquarters in 2010 were convinced the criminals received inside help but all clues led to a “dead-end”, MaltaToday has learnt.

A former police officer close to the investigation at the time told MaltaToday that investigators had their suspicions but evidence was lacking.

“The criminals had a walk-through, gaining access by using electronic key cards that could have only come from someone inside. It was something we were convinced of and although we had our suspicions all leads led to a dead-end,” the source said.

Bank employees had been interrogated at the time but not enough evidence to take the matter to court was unearthed, the source added.

The daring hold-up took place in the evening when three armed criminals walked into the building over-powering the security guard and police officer on duty at the time. However, the hold-up failed when police on patrol noticed the waiting getaway car and gave chase.

Eventually, the armed robbers walked back out and a shoot-out with police ensued.

The audacious hold-up was cast back into the spotlight last week when two men accused of murdering Daphne Caruana Galizia indicated they had information on the involvement of an ex-minister and a sitting minister in the botched heist 11 years ago.

The understanding is that the unnamed sitting minister may have provided the criminals with footage from inside the bank and access codes.

Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi has claimed Chris Cardona was arrested and interrogated over the 2010 HSBC heist. Cardona denies he was ever arrested.

Later on, in parliament, Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi claimed that former economy minister Chris Cardona had in 2010 been arrested and interrogated in connection with the hold-up.

However, Cardona has denied being arrested when contacted by MaltaToday. “I was never arrested. What Jason Azzopardi said is a lie,” he said.

Cardona did confirm though that police had asked him about lawyer David Gatt, who was “eventually arrested, accused and acquitted of all charges” linked to the heist.

At the time, Gatt offered legal services from a Birkirkara office that belongs to Cardona.

“The office was and still is my property. Gatt practiced there and later attended in one of the rooms upstairs to his clients. There were also other lawyers at that time,” Cardona said.

What Cardona told this newspaper tallies with information obtained from a source who was close to the investigation at the time.

“Chris Cardona was spoken to by then police commissioner John Rizzo months after the heist and it was very likely linked to his professional connection with David Gatt on whom the police had received information,” the source said.

Gatt had been charged with masterminding the HSBC headquarters hold-up and accused of heading a criminal gang that carried out several high-profile hold-ups during that period. One of the hold-ups involved the €1 million heist on the Balzan HSBC branch in 2007.

However, police evidence against Gatt rested on the key testimony of police officer Mario Portelli, who was deemed unreliable by the court because of mental health issues.

Gatt was eventually acquitted of all charges in 2017.

The cases against Darren Debono, known as it-Topo (not the footballer), Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, and Fabio Psaila, who were charged with carrying out the heist are ongoing.

Il-Koħħu would eventually be involved in the Caruana Galizia murder. He pleaded guilty last month and was sentenced to 15 years in prison after reaching a plea bargain agreement.

Muscat has testified that he was told by Alfred Degiorgio and his brother George about the involvement of an ex-minister and a sitting minister in the HSBC heist. However, this is deemed to be hearsay evidence.

Former police commissioner John Rizzo

Former police commissioner John Rizzo would not comment when contacted by this newspaper about the claims that he had interrogated Cardona.

“I will not comment and it is best if you direct your questions to the police force. If and when I am requested by any competent authority to assist or testify on what I found during investigations, I will do so as is my duty,” Rizzo said.

The police would only say that the investigations on the HSBC heist in 2010 are ongoing. When asked whether Cardona had been interrogated under arrest at the time, the police would neither confirm nor deny.

“Kindly note that in view of Article 87 of the Police Act, we are not in a position to confirm or otherwise. Furthermore, in regards to the 2010 HSBC heist, investigations have never been closed,” the police replied.

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