Melvin Theuma Tells Court He Knows Nothing About Vince Muscat As He Testifies In 2010 HSBC Heist Case
State witness Melvin Theuma has told the court that he knows nothing about Vince Muscat’s role in the HSBC heist and in a number of other crimes.
Theuma was called to testify in the compilation of evidence against Muscat, who is charged with being an accomplice in the failed heist on the HSBC headquarters back in 2010. The compilation of evidence was reopened in order to hear Theuma’s testimony.
Theuma is the self-confessed middleman in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galiza and was granted a presidential pardon in November 2019 to reveal all he knew about that case, as well as the 2007 hold-up of the HSBC branch in Balzan, the 2010 Casino di Venezia heist and the failed 2010 robbery of the HSBC headquarters.
This morning’s sitting lasted no more than a few minutes. Theuma took the stand and was told by the prosecution that he had been given a presidential pardon to reveal all he knew about the cases.
“I don’t know anything about Vince Muscat,” Theuma replied. “I know nothing about him. I know something about it-Topo but not Vince Muscat. I don’t even know anything about him in relation to the Caruana Galizia murder.”
“I know nothing about Muscat in relation to each of the three cases,” he repeated.
Theuma was then asked by Muscat’s lawyer Marc Sant how long he had known Muscat.
“For a long time, since we were kids. But I only knew him in relation to gambling,” he replied.
Sant asked him to confirm whether he knew Muscat during the time the heists had taken place, with Theuma replying in the affirmative.
Muscat, together with Darren Debono, known as it-Topo, and Fabio Psaila, have been charged over their alleged involvement in the crime.
Both Muscat and Debono were due to stand trial back in January but the trial was put off due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In May, a sitting was held before Giovanni Grixti for him to set a new date for the trial to begin, however, the parties in the case were informed that it was being put off indefinitely since the acts of the case had been sent to the inquiring magistrate who was going to hear a new witness, later revealed to be Theuma.
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