Hold-up victim calls on authorities to ‘assume their responsibilities’

In comments to MaltaToday, a few hours after his ordeal when he was hit in the face by three armed assailants as he entered his home in Old Railway Road in Attard on Friday night, Jeweller Michael Mizzi, 52 voiced his anger at what he defined as the “total collapse” of the judicial system.

“Why should I, a law abiding citizen be left exposed to such a high risk criminal? Who is taking such ridiculous decisions?” Mizzi asked, stopping short of replying to the direct question whether he was demanding the resignation of Home Affairs and Justice Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici or Magistrate Edwin Grima who granted bail to one of the identified assailants.

“I am not going to point my fingers towards anybody in particular, but somebody must shoulder the responsibility because this is proof of a clear mess in our country’s judicial system,” he said.

Visibly shaken and bruised in the face, Michael Mizzi together with his family returned to work yesterday morning, and coped with a continuous show of solidarity by friends who stopped to wish them well.

Known criminal Darren Debono, 33 from Marsascala, known as ‘it-Topo’ was yesterday recovering after surgery to his right thigh after being shot by his own gun when he was confronted by the jeweller’s son during the attempted hold-up.

He had been recently bailed by Magistrate Edwina Grima who defied all police recommendations who described both Debono and an accomplice – 48 year-old Vince Muscat – as “dangerous to society” after facing 18 charges each relating to the dramatic shootout outside the HSBC Bank headquarters in Qormi on June 30.

More than 60 shots were fired at the police who foiled the hold-up that day, and Darren Debono was injured by a bullet in his jaw by a police officer who returned fire.

He was caught the day after, when it was discovered that he sought medical help in a private clinic saying that he had a metal splinter lodged in his jaw.

MaltaToday had raised the alarm on October 20, when Magistrate Edwina Grima had granted bail to Vince Muscat on the basis that his daughter had provided a home for him, when he had no fixed address to reside in.

Contacted that day, Police Commissioner John Rizzo expressed his dismay at the decision, while the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry and the Attorney General had no idea that bail was even granted to the suspect.

Muscat was remanded in custody after Judge David Sciculna upheld an urgent appeal by the Attorney General who request that bail be immediately revoked.

Another appeal by Muscat to be granted bail was revoked two weeks later by Judge Scicluna, and surprisingly granted bail together with Darren Debono three weeks ago by Magistrate Edwina Grima against a €5,000 deposit.

Police were outraged at the decision, to the extent that tensions were evident between the police force and the judiciary over the “easy granting” of bail to dangerous criminals.

When police officers arrived in Old Railway Road in Attard on Friday night, they were shocked to discover that the man behind the balaclava was Darren Debono.

He lay on the ground screaming in pain as this right thigh was visibly bleeding and swollen to the size of a football as paramedics removed his trousers to administer first aid.

Neighbors applauded the police as they escorted the criminal away in an ambulance, some of them loudly remarking their shame at the courts for having granted him bail.

In his comments to MaltaToday, Michael Mizzi said that he still cannot believe that he was attacked by the same suspect involved in the HSBC hold-up.

“When I had heard about the HSBC hold-up  I was shocked at the ferocity of such criminals who have no shame in shooting at the police in the way they did, and now I find myself a victim of the same shooter!”  Mizzi said adding how difficult it is for him to find peace with himself, as things could have turned out to be much worse for him and his family.

Mizzi had just arrived home with his car at 8.30pm and was walking through jis drive when three men assaulted him, hitting him on the head with the handle of a gun.

While they demanded he lets go of a brief case he was holding, Michael Mizzi’s son Silvio had just parked his car just a few metres behind the house and noticed the commotion, ran up the drive way and pounced on the aggressors.

He only noticed the gun in flash while he was twisting the arm of one of the hooded assailants when at least two shots rang out.

The assailant fell to the ground in pain while his other two accomplices ran off with a van that was later found burnt in Ta’ Qali.

“Silvio could have died because these criminals stop at nothing, but he didn’t stop them they would have proceeded into the house perhaps killing me and my wife too,” Mizzi said, still angry at the fact that he was assaulted by a criminal who is supposed to be in prison.

He thanked the police for all their help and expressed gratitude for their efforts to keep such criminals away from society, and expressed sympathy towards them when such criminals are put back out on the street.