The Brigadier of Malta’s Armed Forces, Jeffrey Curmi, knew that an army sergeant was in an intimate romantic relationship with a drug kingpin at the time of his murder. 

Lovin Malta has revealed that Sergeant Carmen Pace was in a long-term relationship with Raymond Caruana, who was murdered outside his San Blas residence in Haz-Żebbuġ on 20th March 2015. She was the unnamed “female companion” who was inside the residence at the time of the murder. 

Sources have told the newsroom that Curmi was well aware of the relationship between the pair – and knew that Pace was on-site when Caruana was gunned down. He did not take action with Pace actually receiving a promotion to Staff Sergeant a few months after the murder. She retired in 2018 on a taxpayer-funded pension.

Curmi, who was appointed to the role in 2013,  has not replied to questions sent to this newsroom over the issue. 

Pace’s relationship with Caruana was not her first serious misdemeanour. Sources have explained how Pace was booted out of Malta’s Security Services after major issues were discovered by authorities at the time.

Pace was removed from the MSS but was still allowed to return to the AFM.

Caruana is believed to be the man who triggered a chain of deaths between 2011 and 2015 after a large amount of cocaine from his warehouse was stolen.

Police believe that Caruana could have been behind the deaths of Joseph ‘Il-Lion’ Cutajar and Paul ‘Is-Suldat’ Degabriele, who are suspected of being part of the heist along with Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Alfred Degiorgio.

Reports have since claimed that the death of Caruana, who at the time was believed to be one of Malta’s high-profile criminals, left a void that was exploited by Robert and Adrian Agius, the Tal-Maksar brothers.

They would later ascend to the top levels of the criminal underworld in Malta – and have since been charged on offences related to the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Carmel Chircop.

Lovin Malta has reported how the two brothers had, and may still have, moles within Malta’s police force and security services.

Photo source: Bullet holes in Raymond Caruana’s garage – TVM