|
Kurt Sansone
Life continues as usual in Gozo with people showing little public concern for the brutal murder of lawyer Michael Grech, which occurred more than a month ago in Marsalforn.
St Mary’s road, along the Qbajjar promenade, where Grech was murdered harbours no sign of the bloody events that happened there on 25 May.
As Marsalforn prepares for the annual summer invasion of Maltese ‘tourists’ Grech’s murder remains a mysterious killing with an unknown motive.
Investigations are ongoing with no hint of reaching a conclusion anytime soon. After last week’s revelation in this newspaper that one of the theories being pursued by the police as a possible motive for the murder is Grech’s links to the construction industry in Gozo, fresh information indicates that another theory pursued by the police is that of the murder being linked to an inheritance dispute of some kind.
As a lawyer, Grech was professionally involved in a number of contracts between private individuals. He was also the Gozo Curia’s lawyer and could have been involved in a number of contracts by which private individuals left their property to the Church after their death. Grech also represented the Church bank APS’ interests in Gozo.
The police are leaving no stone unturned in their investigations and are pursuing all possible leads in a bid to arrive at the motive and the murderers.
Police investigators have been questioning a number of people who either knew Grech professionally or were involved with him in court proceedings. But the investigation is proving more difficult than usual and the Gozitan omerta is not helping things.
The 46-year old lawyer was shot and then clubbed to death in an open garage underlying a block of flats he owned in Marsalforn. He was attacked as he returned to his flat, situated in the third floor in St Mary’s Street, at about 10pm.
It is believed that the hooded killer was probably waiting for Grech on the stairs leading to the fourth floor and as the lawyer lowered his briefcase to fetch the keys to the flat, the killer shot him in the neck.
A heavily wounded Grech then ran down the stairs with the assailant following hot on his heels. A relative of Grech, who opened the apartment door upon hearing the shot is said to have seen a hooded man run down the stairs.
Once outside, Grech headed for the corner of the street but at that point evidence suggests that he either fainted or else the assailant caught up with him. Police believe the victim must have been unconscious or heavily overpowered because he does not appear to have offered any more resistance as he was dragged, face down, into a garage still under construction.
What followed was a brutal end to a bloody story as the victim was clubbed to death by his attacker. Whoever wanted Grech dead, made sure that the job was finished. Police believe that there may have been at least two men because it would not have been possible for just one person to drag a human body for such a distance, around 50 feet, in such a short period of time.
kurt@newsworksltd.com
|
