The man who masterminded a 2011 arson attack in Qormi has just been sentenced to six and a half years in prison, Times of Malta reported.

Keith Camilleri, also known as the ‘Holy Ghost’, instructed a drug addict to set a home on fire and has been found guilty of complicity in the arson. 

Camilleri’s accomplice, Mario Martin Baldacchino. provided his name to the police several years after the August 2011 incident, providing a detailed account of that fateful day.

The two men met at a detox centre while they were both battling drug addiction. One day, Camilleri offered Baldacchino a lift home during which he asked Baldacchino to set fire to the door of a private residence, promising the man €500 in return yet never delivering on the payment.

Camilleri pointed out the residence before handing Baldacchino a container of petrol and dropping him off nearby.

Baldacchino was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crime, so he was slower than usual and the authorities caught him in the act with a lighter in hand. He was arrested, charged with arson, and eventually convicted of the crime – landing himself six years in prison.

After being arrested, Baldacchino hinted that there was more to the story, but only waited to share it five years later when he was already serving his sentence. 

Baldacchino further stated that Camilleri was well-aware of the man’s drug addiction and used it to manipulate him into committing a crime.

The court deemed Baldacchino’s version of events credible, saying that his account was consistent throughout.

Meanwhile, just minutes before the fire broke out, Camilleri was involved in a traffic incident around a kilometre away from the crime scene.

An arson expert confirmed that a piece of cloth was soaked in fuel, lit up, and placed near the door. The door was fire-resistant so the fuel did not seep through and the neither did the flames. Three people that live in the residence were on the roof of the home with two workmen during the arson.

The damage to the door amounted to around €1,600, according to court experts.

Camilleri was found guilty of all charges except for complicity in the wilful damage to third party property.

In addition to arson, he was convicted of recidivism due to four prievous convictions.

The court further ordered a three-year restraining order as well as a €1,600 reimbursement to the victims within six months.

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