Court Reduces Deposit Amount For Safi Barracks Heist Suspects Because They Can’t Afford Bail
Four men accused of stealing over 130kg of cannabis resin from a guarded container at the Safi Barracks earlier this year have had their bail terms revised after they failed to meet the original deposit conditions.
Sean Attard, 30, Yousef Essesi, 33, and brothers Carlos and Cleaven Pace, 23 and 19 respectively, had been granted bail in June, but remained in detention as they could not afford the original €30,000 deposit.
On Tuesday, Magistrate Elaine Rizzo reduced the bail deposit to €20,000 and increased the personal guarantee to €50,000, while maintaining strict bail conditions such as curfew and daily signing of the bail book. The prosecution also requested the appointment of a third-party guarantor.
The four men were arrested shortly after the February heist, which targeted a container holding seized drugs at the Armed Forces of Malta base in Safi. The cannabis had previously been confiscated at the Malta Freeport.
All four deny charges of aggravated theft, criminal association for drug trafficking, and possession of cannabis not for personal use. Carlos Pace faces additional accusations related to breaching bail conditions and a suspended sentence from unrelated cases.
During the hearing, lawyer Kevin Valletta defended the initial €30,000 deposit as reflecting the severity of the charges. However, Amadeus Cachia, representing Essesi, argued his client could not raise more than €10,000.
In related proceedings, Inspector Joseph Mercieca confirmed under cross-examination that charges against Christa Gauci, Cleaven Pace’s girlfriend, were based mainly on CCTV footage and mobile location data. Gauci told police she had been with Pace the night of the heist. Her lawyer questioned the admissibility of this statement in evidence against Pace.
Court expert Godwin Sammut testified that the cannabis tested positive for THC, though the lab performing the test is still awaiting accreditation. Defence lawyer Franco Debono hinted at the possibility of seeking an independent analysis due to ongoing delays in that accreditation process.
The case is being prosecuted by AG lawyers Maria Francesca Spiteri and Kevin Valletta, alongside Inspectors Mark Anthony Mercieca, Alfredo Mangion, and Jeffrey Scicluna Briffa. The defence team includes lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Charles Mercieca, Adriana Zammit, Matthew Xuereb, Amadeus Cachia, and Mario Mifsud.
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