Hal Far thieves targeted supermarket entrepreneur
Man who was bundled in his own car and driven home is property developer
Family relatives of Joseph Portelli, 63, have rallied around the former supermarket owner who yesterday was seized by thieves and taken hostage.
According to initial police reports, Portelli - a property developer and the owner of the former Pirella supermarket chain - was assaulted by an unknown number of thieves, who then bundled him in his car where he was driven to his secluded residence in Santa Lucija.
He was beaten, after which the unknown men escaped after stealing a quantity of items from the house. The victim suffered some injuries but refused hospital treatment.
Official police reports said a minimal amount of cash was stolen. MaltaToday was unable to confirm whether this was over €1,000 in total.
Portelli, whose family told MaltaToday was "still in a state of shock" this morning, was unavailable for comment.