Five car bombs in 13 months

●5 cases of car bombs between January 2016 and February 2017 ●3 victims were known to police ●Latest victim identified as Romeo Bone

The car bomb which rattled the traffic-filled street in Msida yesterday morning was the latest in a string of car explosions which have occurred in recent months. This most recent explosion, which targeted a Floriana man, Romeo Bone, was the fifth car bomb explosion in a period of 13 months.

More than the shock of the actual explosion, those present in Msida at mid-morning – in a road which is known for traffic congestions and for the flow of Junior College students from one side to the other – was the worrying fact that these car bombs are becoming more frequent than ever.

Looking at the car bomb incidents between January 2016 and February 2017, one can notice a number of similarities. Among the common factors is the fact that the victims were already known to the police.

16 January 2016

Martin Cachia, 56, was killed instantly when a bomb went off inside the Alfa Romeo he was driving along the Marsascala bypass. Police said it was unclear whether the man was the target or whether he was knowingly transporting the device.

The police confirmed that Cachia had been involved in a number of court cases, including drugs, contraband cigarettes and human smuggling. The victim, who was out on bail, had not reported receiving any threats but his son’s residence had been targeted in an apparent arson attack the previous year.

26 September 2016

A bomb filled with screws and ball bearings went off inside a van as it was being driven along Aldo Moro Road in Marsa last September, grievously injuring its driver, Josef Cassar, 35, who lost both legs in the explosion, while a passenger in the van was slightly injured. The blast also injured a 38-year-old man who was driving alongside the van at the time of the explosion.

It later emerged that the bomb had been planted underneath the van and was detonated by a mobile phone. Mr Cassar is the sole director of a haulage company based in Marsa.

31 October 2016

A businessman was killed in an explosion that took place in St Paul’s Bay.

The explosion took place in Triq Paderborn. The man, John Camilleri, known as Giovanni tasSapun, aged 67, was certified dead on site.

He was driving a Mitsubishi Pajero when the explosion took place. The man ran a business selling bathroom amenities.

29 January 2017

Victor Calleja – also known as IċChippu – 61, from Ħamrun, died when a car exploded in Marsa. The bomb is believed to have been inside the car and was detonated electronically.

The police said that the man died on site. He was in an Opel Astra that was being driven in the direction of Qormi.

Mr Calleja had a history with the police having been implicated in the 22 December 1998 holdup on a Group 4 security van, in which Lm50,000 in cash were stolen.

20 February 2017

The most recent in the list of those injured or even killed by a car bomb, is the incident which occurred yesterday morning in Msida. The driver was identified as Romeo Bone, from Floriana. The 40-year-old was driving a Renault Scenic. The blast damaged at least three other cars in the vicinity.

Who is Romeo Bone?

Romeo Bone is well-known to the police. He has been linked – among other things – to the murder of Joseph Baldacchino in December 2011.

Back in April 2009, Mr Bone was charged with drug trafficking from Sicily. The Italian courts had freed him as the Catania tribunal ruled that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to incriminate him.

Two years later, in February 2011, Magistrate Silvio Meli freed Bone on a personal guarantee of €15,000 following a police investigation linking him to the murder of Joseph Baldacchino.

In that same period, the victim was charged with planning the murder of a police constable. He was freed because of lack of evidence. The policeman he was following was a star witness in the case against David Gatt, who was charged with a number of cases relating to armed theft.

In May 2016, Bone was charged with the theft of €230,000 from a jewellery shop in Portomaso. He was freed of the charges due to lack of sufficient evidence linking him to the case.

Romeo Bone is wellknown to the police. He has been linked among other things - to the murder of Joseph Baldacchino in December 2011