Woman charged with setting car on fire granted bail

A woman accused of commissioning an arson attack on a Mercedes last November has been released on bail, while a court heard a police inspector explain how the woman’s voice had been recognised in a phone call booking a taxi for the two alleged arsonists.

Judith Bakoush, 29, and Omar Joseph Trabelsi, 31, are accused of arson and causing extensive damage to the Mercedes and a car parked next to it.

A tearful Bakoush was agitated and tried to interject several times as Inspector Jeffrey Scicluna gave Magistrate Rachel Montebello an overview of the investigation, which began when police received a report of the fact that a Mercedes had caught fire in Valletta. The fire had led to the evacuation of an apartment block, he said, explaining that a fixed point guard had been placed overnight after the blaze had been brought under control.

There was no CCTV footage of the actual arson, he said, but the day after the crime, the police had received an anonymous tip-off that Bakoush, a mother of three living on benefits, had sent two Syrians to set fire to the car, later booking them both a taxi. Police had looked at all the taxi company’s trips for that day and noted one which stopped at the end of Bakoush’s street, near her residence.

CCTV captured Ahmed al Furjani getting into the taxi and Omar Trabelsi conversing with the taxi driver.

The police ordered copies of the recordings of the phone call booking the taxi. The phone number used belonged to Bakoush and her voice was recognised on the call, although she had used a false name linked to Trabelsi while making the booking.

The taxi driver had driven the man to a petrol station and assisted him in purchasing the fuel. He was holding a two-litre water bottle and was having difficulty filling it with petrol, so the man and the driver took two empty oil containers and filled them with petrol instead.

Trabelsi could be seen leaving the taxi, taking the fuel cans from the taxi’s boot and going to Bakoush’s residence. An unidentified man is seen speaking to the driver. There were five people at the woman’s home at the time, said the inspector.

A person is later seen leaving the house with his face covered. A second man is also seen leaving and covers his head. The footage showed Trabelsi carrying the fuel cans.

At the time of ignition, a person wearing the same clothes as Trabelsi is seen sprinting away from the scene, the inspector went on. His face was blurred in the footage seen by the police. The two suspects split up after the crime and took different routes home, he explained.

Ahmed Al Furjani was identified because while at the petrol station, he had made a phone call. It was later found that he had called Bakoush.

First to be arrested were Bakoush and Trabelsi. Police had spent a month investigating before making the arrests, said Scicluna. A search of Bakoush’s residence returned items unrelated to the crime but which, he said, were to be the subject of separate criminal proceedings.

She had not cooperated with the police during her interrogation, he added.

She was released on police bail and arrested again on 15 January. Trabelsi was arrested the next day, but never gave a statement as he immediately started to complain of chest pain whenever questioning started, leading to him be ferried to and from hospital, Scicluna said.

But the gang was rumbled by Al Furjani, who had cooperated with police after being traced and explained every aspect of the plan, in detail. “Without us having disclosed anything to him, he basically gave us our investigation all over again,” explained the inspector.

Al Furjani had told the police that inside the house, after the fuel was brought inside, he had seen Bakoush give Trabelsi directions as to what he was to do. He had heard Bakoush say “burn it all.”

Trabelsi had carried the can, spread the fuel on and under the car and set it alight, said Al Furjani, adding that when he later returned to Bakoush’s house, he had heard her say “I’ll be grateful for this my whole life.”

Trabelsi was later arraigned and charged with complicity in the crime.

Later in yesterday afternoon’s sitting, Bakoush was granted bail against a deposit of €200 and a personal guarantee of €5,000. She was ordered to sign the bail book daily and observe a curfew. A protection order was issued for three men involved in the case.

Trabelsi remains in custody at the maximum security wing of Mount Carmel Hospital.

The case continues.

Lawyers Marion Camilleri and Franco Debono are appearing for Bakoush. Lawyer Yanika Zammit Tabona is defending Trabelsi.