The following is the second police statement I gave during the interrogation. In the first one — taken earlier that same day in the morning — I admitted to nothing. After it ended, they transferred me from the Mosta Police Station to the lock-up at Police Headquarters in Floriana. When it was already dark, they came for me again and took me back to the Mosta station. At first, I only admitted that I used to enter the church crypt, based on photos they found on my laptop. Later, I also admitted to being involved in the case concerning the animals, as I hadn’t properly deleted some files, and they could have easily recovered them with a basic file recovery. I even told them about a CD that contained all the details. The contents of this police statement — complete with their spelling mistakes — are shown below.

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PULIZIJA TA' MALTA
(MALTA POLICE FORCE)
L-Ghassa tal-Mosta
(Mosta Police station)
It-Tieni STQARRIJA
(Second Police Statement)
Pagna 1 sa 4
(Pages 1 to 4)

Data: 19 ta’ Marzu 2014
(Date: 19th March 2014)
Hin: 2100 hrs
(Time: 2100 hrs)

(p.1) Stqarrija ta’ Nicholas Grech, ta' 37 sena, imwieled nhar --- gewwa I Pieta’, bin --- u ---, id card --- u residenti --- Mosta [mob no. ---]
(Police Statement of Nicholas Grech, 37 years old, born on [date] in Pietà, son of [father's name] and [mother's name], holder of identity card number [---], residing in Mosta, and reachable at mobile number [---]).

Qed terga’ tigi imwissi minni l-Ispettur Edmond Cuschieri fil-prezenza ta’ Spettur Joseph Busuttil ghandek dritt ma tirrispondiex ghad-domandi li ser issirulek imma dak li tghid ser jigi miktub u jista’ jingieb bhala prova.
(You are being advised by me, Police Inspector Edmond Cuschieri, in the presence of Police Inspector Joseph Busuttil, that you have the right not to answer the questions that will be asked. However, anything you say will be recorded and may be used as evidence against you.)

Edmond Cuschieri (Spettur / Police Inspector)
Nicholas Grech (ID: ---)
Joseph Busuttil (Spettur / Police Inspector)

D[omanda]. Ara Nicholas ha nkomplu mal istqarrija li hadna aktar kmieni llum mela fil pen drives tieghek sibna ritratti tal-kannerija tal-knisja tal-Mosta u tal-osswarju dawn ir-ritratti kif hadtom?
(Q[uestion]. Nicholas, let's continue the police statement we began earlier this morning. On your pen drives, we found photos of the crypt and ossuary of the Mosta Church. How did you take these photos?)
R[isposta]. Kont nidhol bil-lejl sforz l-interess li kelli biex inkun naf fuq il-knisja l-antika.
(A[nswer]. I used to go in at night to learn more about the old church [that stood before the current one].)

D. Kif kont tidhol bil-lejl?
(Q. How did you use to enter?)
R. Kont hadt il-forma tas-serratura u kont ghamilt il-muftieh, kont ghamilt imfietah tal-postijiet kollha ta taht il-paviment.
(A. I had drawn the outline of the lock and made the key; I had made keys for all the places located beneath the [church's] pavement.).

D. Meta tghid taht il-paviment iggfieri tal-area tal kannirja u l-bibien li jaghtu ghal osswarju?
(Q. When you say 'below the pavement,' it means the area of the crypt and the doors that lead to the ossuary?)
R. Tar rixtellu tal-Kannirja, ta taht it turgien tas sagristijiet, u ta' bieb zghir li hemm hdejn il-parking. Tal Osswarju kont ghamilt hadida semplici ghax ma kinitx kumplikala. Kelli ukoll tal ghar tal Isperanza u gieli mort hemm hadt xi ritratti bil-lejl.
(A. For the outside iron gate of the crypt, for the rooms situated under the stairs leading to the sacristies, and for a small door near the parking area. As for the ossuary, I had made a small rod since it wasn’t that complicated.)

D. X' kien l-iskop tieghek li taghmel hekk?
(Q. What was the purpose behind this?)
R. Ghax jien inhobb l affarijiet storici u dak il-hin ninsa kollox, u ghamilt hekk ghax kieku saqsejt permess biex naghmel hekk zgur li ma kienux ser ihalluni.
(A. Because I love historical places, I forget everything in those moments. I did so because if I dared to ask for permission to enter, they surely would not have allowed me.)

D. Fi x’hin kont tmur?
(Q. What time did you usually go?)
R. Fis 2am jew 3am u kont naghmel qiesu siegha imma mhux dejjem l istess.
(A. Around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., and you used to spend about an hour, though not always at the same time.)

D. Urejtek ritratt tal imfielah tikkonferma li dawk huma l imfielah li qed issemmi u li ghamilt inti?
(Q. I’m showing a photo of the keys. Can you confirm that these are the keys you mentioned and made yourself?).
R. Iva.
(A. Yes.)

D. Qed nurik ritratt ta’ bieb li jinsab fl istess folder u li inti hadt ritratt tieghu qed tifthu ta fejn huwa dan il-bieb?
(Q. I’m also showing you a photo from the same [computer] folder of a door, and in it, you’re opening the door yourself. Which door is this?)
R. Dak huwa il-bieb tal-kampnari.
(A. This is the door to the belfries.)

D. Fil pen drive gewwa folder intitolat Latin instaghab screen shot tat Times of Malta ta meta twahhlu zewgt islaleb bil-fdalijiet tal-qtates mal istatwa li hemm Brittanja Square nhar (p.2) is 16 ta’ Settembru x’tghidli fuqu din u ghal fejn kien mohbi hemm dan l iscreen shot?
(Q. On the pen drive, in the same [computer] folder, a screenshot was found of a Times of Malta article about when you hung two crosses with cat remains on the statue in Britannia Square (p.2) on the 16th of September. What can you tell me about this, and why was the screenshot hidden there?)
R. Dak iz-zmien kont qed nuza dak il-folder u erfaju hemm qiesu.
(A. At the time, I was using that [computer] folder and just stored it there.)

D. Ghal fejn hassejt il-bzonn li zzomm dan l-iscreen shot?
(Q. Why did you feel you had to keep that screenshot?)
R. Jien dehrli li ghandi nzomma dik ghax hija parti mil istorja tal-Mosta dik.
(A. I considered it worthwhile to keep because it forms part of Mosta's history.)

D. Sibna ukoll ritratt tar-rotunda anzi ritratti ta’ fejn twahhal l ahhar salib nhar it 2 ta’ Frar 2014 u jidher li inti anki tlajt fuq ic-cinta kif telgha min wahhal is-salib, taht ic-cinta jidher car li hemm ir-rota tieghek xi skop kellu dan ir-ritratt?
(Q. We also found a photo of the Rotunda — or rather, photos — showing you hanging the last cross on the 2nd of February 2014. It seems you climbed that part in the same way as the person who had hung the cross. Beneath that area is your bicycle. For what purpose did you take this photo?)
R. Dawk ir-ritratti li ghidt tghid hadtom biex nara l-lavur tal-knisja imma dawk ilni li hadthom.
(A. The photos you're referring took them while studying the contour of the church, specifically the bases of the columns, but they were taken by me a long time ago.)

D. L-imfietah li semmghejna aktar il-fuq dawn gahdom ghandek u jekk iva fejn qedghin?
(Q. The keys we talked about earlier, do you still have them? If so, where are they?)
R. Iva u qedghin fil-garaxx ta mad dar.
(A. Yes, they’re in the garage next to my house.)

D. Fil-komputer hemm filmat fejn fih tidher qed tipprova torbot qattus ma salib, fil-filmat jidher ukoll martell hdejk u serrieq, fil waqt li l-art hija miksija kollha gazzetti, nghidlek sew li meta hadt dan il-filmat kont qed tipprepara bix issallab dan il-qattus?
(Q. On your computer, there's a video showing you trying to tie a cat to a cross. In the video, a hammer and a saw are visible near you, and the floor is covered with newspapers. Am I correct in saying that you were preparing to crucify the cat in this video?)
R. Le altru li mhux hekk, l ewwel net turi kemm hi xi haga mhux realistika ghax mhux ha jirnexxilek issallab annimal haj, l iskop kien biex kif kien hemm dik l-agha fil-midja biex inkompli inzid maghha taparsi hemm wiehed qieged jaghmel dik il-mohqrija.
(A. Absolutely not. First of all, it clearly shows how unrealistic or impossible that would be — you could never manage to crucify a live animal. The purpose of the video was to play into the media sensation at the time, to further stir things up as if someone was actually committing such an act of cruelty.)

D. Il-post fejn ittiehed il-filmat fejn kien?
(Q. Where was this video taken?)
R. Fil-kamra tas-sodda tieghi.
(A. In my bedroom.)

D. Kien hemm barmil hdejk u fih bdejt titfa xi magazines u qabel twaddab il-magazines fih bdejt tiffoka bil camera fuqom qiesek trid twassal xi messagg bil headlines tal magazines x’kien l iskop jew il messagg li ridt twassal?
(Q. There was a bucket near you, and you began placing magazines in it. Before placing each one, you focused the camera on its headline, as if you were trying to convey a message through them. What was the purpose or message you wanted to convey?)
R. Dak kien hemm kocc magazines tal knisja u ghidt qiesu tigi li dak li jkun ghandu xi haga ghal-knisja.
(A. Some of the magazines were about religion, and presented that way it might have seemed like the person involved was expressing something against religion.)

D. Dak il-filmat ilu mill 2012 x wasslek li ridt twassal messagg li min hu ghandu ghal knisja ghax sa dak iz-zmien ma kien hadd ghadu jaf bil kontenut tal-ittri?
(Q. This video is from 2012. What prompted you to convey the idea that the person involved was opposed to religion, especially considering that, at the time, the contents of the letters were still unknown?)
R. Mill-comments tan nies li bdejt nara bdew jalludu li min kien ghandu ghal knisja.
(A. It was based on the comments people were making, suggesting that the person had something against religion.)

L-istqarrija giet mwaqqfa biex ingabru CD u xi mfietah mir residenza ta Nicholas Grech.
The police statement was paused so they could obtain a CD and some keys from Nicholas Grech's residence.

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At that moment, I admitted my involvement in the case of animal crucifixions and informed them about a CD I had at home containing information on where I had collected the dead animals, among other details.

What has been written up to now was done by Edmond Cuschieri, the remaining was done by Joseph Busuttil.

Some time earlier, Deputy Police Commissioner Raymond Zammit had entered the room. We discussed the fact that about two weeks before my arrest, I was transferred at my workplace due to an email that had ended up on Daphne's blog. Raymond responded, "Oh yes... yes."

Later, when I admitted my involvement in the animal case, Edmond made a phone call, probably to Raymond Zammit, who had meanwhile left, likely to rest at home. They then took me downstairs at the police station, and after some waiting, they brought me home to retrieve the CD and keys. During the morning search of my home, they had not noticed these items in the garage; they only learned of them from photos found on my laptop.

The church authorities reported that no one had entered their premises, as they were completely unaware of this. I had never stolen or damaged anything. If it had been someone else, they would have taken everything freely and without restraint.

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D. Jekk nghidlek li dawn l-annimali li nstabu mwahhlin f’diversi postijiet fil Mosta wahhalthom int xi tghid?
(Q. If I tell you that you were the one who hanged the animals found in several places in Mosta, what do you say?)
R. Iva.
(A. Yes).

D. Tista tghidli kif kont toqtol dawn l-annimali?
(Q. Can you tell me how you used to kill these animals?)
R. Jien dawn dejjem sibthom mejtin waqt li nkun ghaddej fit triq bir rota. Tkun tajjrithom xi karozza u jien nigborhom, nohodhom mieghi id dar u nifrizhom.
(A. didn’t kill them. I found them dead while cycling along the roads. It seems they had been hit by cars, so I collected them, took them home, and froze them.)

D. L-ittri int kont tiktibhom?
(Q. The letters — you used to write them?)
R. Iva.
(A. Yes).

D. Tista’ tghidli ghaliex f’wahda minn l-ittri alludejt li min kien tak l-annimali kien qieghed jgheddek li kien ser jikxfek?
(Q. Can you tell me why, in one of these letters, you alluded to the person giving you the animals as threatening to report you?
R. Jien kont inkun qieghed newden bil lejl u nohloq qisu storja.
(A. I used to be pondering during the night, and it felt like I wanted to invent a story.)

D. Int ghandek x’taqsam ma fra bazzu?
(Q. Did you have anything to do with Fra Bazzu?)
R. Le jien kont kellimtu fuq l-ghalqa u iddecidejt li niktiblu hekk ghaliex kulhadd kien jaqbad mieghu. Jien ridt nikteb fuq xi hadd u wehel hu mieghi.
(A. No. I once went to ask him about a field, and I decided to write about him because everyone used to make fun of him. I wanted to write about someone, and I ended up kind of picking on him.).

D. Fl ittri semmejt diversi nies fosthom l Imhallef Galea Debono, lil Psikjatra Joseph Cassar, lil Daphne Caruana Galizia, Giannella De Marco u xi nies ohrajn ghal fejn semmejthom?
(Q. In the letters, you mentioned several people, including Judge Galea Debono, Psychiatrist Joseph Cassar, Daphne Caruana Galizia, Giannella De Marco, and others. For what purpose did you mention them?)
R. Dawk kollha kellhom x’jaqsmu mal kaz tal Bazzu.
(A. They were all involved in Bazzu’s case.).

D. Tista’ tghidli l-postijiet kollha ma fejn wahalt slaleb bi klieb jew qtates jew bicciet ta qtates?
(Q. Can you tell me all the places where you hung crosses with dogs, cats, or parts of cats?)
R. L-ewwel wiehed tal kelb mal bieb tad-dar ta’ Frangisk, it tieni mal oratorju, it tielet mal kappella ta’ San Anton Abbati, issa ma nafx hux wara xulxin dawn imma wahalt mal iskola ta’ Grognet, mal istatwa ta' Santa Marija ta hdejn Triq it-Torri, mal istatwa ta’ San Anton Abbati, darba hdejn il-Flower Power hemm hekk wahalt tnejn, ma Santa Marija ta’ Pjazza Brittanja hemmhekk wahalt tnejn ukoll, darba mac-cimiterju imma din qatt ma nstemghu xejn fuqha, wahalt qattus ukoll fi triq Baskal Buhagiar f’post li jigi ezatt wara d-dar ta’ Frangisk u wahalt iehor mal istatwa ta’ San Guzepp li tinsab fi Triq il-Kbira u l-ahhar wahda wahalt kelb ma wara tal-knisja u l-qattus mal-istatwa ta’ San Filep.
(A. The first was a dog on the door of Francis's house. The second was at the Oratory. The third was at the Chapel of Saint Anthony the Abbot. I don’t remember the exact sequence after that, but I hung one at the school on Grognet Street, one with the statue of Saint Mary near Tower Street, and another with the statue of Saint Anthony the Abbot. Once, near Flower Power, I hung two. At Saint Mary in Britannia Square, I also hung two. I did one at the cemetery, but no one ever mentioned it. I hung a cat on Baskal Buhagiar Street, at a place that happens to be right behind Francis’s house. I hung another one with the statue of Saint Joseph on Main Street. The last ones were a dog near the church and a cat with the statue of Saint Philip.)

D. Tac cimiterju meta wahhaltu?
(Q. The one at the cemetery — when did you hang it?)
R. (p.3) Dak kont ghadni kemm lestejt kors tal computer u bil kemm kont lahaqt il project u ghidt jekk jirnexili nwahhlu jirnexxili nghaddi mill kors. Dan nahseb kien f xi Lulju jew Gunju tat 2012.
(A: It happened right after I had finished a computer course. I had barely managed to complete the final project on time, and I told myself that if I could manage to hang the cross at the cemetery, then I could also manage to pass the course. I think it was in June or July of 2012.)

D. Ghaliex dejjem taghzel id data tas 16 ta xahar barra fix xahar ta Frar?
(Q. Why do you always choose the 16th of the month, except in February?
R. Biex ma nwegghux iz-zejjed lil bazu peress li dak jigi l anniversarju ta meta l bazzu [kien ghamel il-krimini tieghu], ghax jien ridt niehu pjacir imma mhux inwegghu izzejjed [il-kliem ezatt kien "ridt niccajta imma mhux inwegga"].
(A. I didn’t want to harm Bazzu too much, since the 16th would have fallen on the anniversary of when he committed his crime. I wanted to have fun, but not to actually hurt him.).

D. Pero id-data tas-16 x’sinifikat ghanda ghalik?
(Q. But does the 16th have some special significance for you?)
R. Xejn l ewwel darba kien f’dik id data u komplejt naghmel fis sittax biex nohloq sensazzjoni fil-midja u nies joqghodu jispekulaw.
(A. No, it just happened that the first time I did it was on the 16th, and I kept doing it on that date to stir up attention in the media and let people speculate.)

D. L-ahhar wahda li wahalt kellek wiccek moghti, biex kien moghti wiccek?
(Q. The last one you hanged had your face covered. What was your face covered with?)
R. B’baraclava bajda li armejta, din kienet min tax-xoghol tal-firefighting.
(A. I was wearing a white balaclava, which I later disposed of. It was part of the firefighting gear from my workplace.)

D. Ara l-ahhar wahda inti tidher gej fil cameras min naha ta triq il-Pont min fejn kont gej?
(Q. CCTV shows you coming from the direction of Bridge Street. Where were you coming from?)
R. Il-qattus kien ilu fil freezer u l kelb kont sibtu dak in nhar stess jiena u tiela it telgha ta' Roc a Go tal barrani jiena u sejjer ix-xoghol Delimara u jien u sejjer lura id dar fl-10pm kien ghadu hemm u mort gbartu, hadt il qattus mill freezer u qatt insahnu fil-forn u x’hin nizel naqra mil friza hadt il kelb u l qattus fl ghalqa, ghamilt is slaleb dak il-hin mal lejl u min hemm hadt kollox bil mixi lejn il-knisja. Fil-laptop ghandi l istorja ta kollox.
(A: The cat had been in the freezer for a long time. Earlier that day, I had seen the dog while climbing Roc a Go hill on Tal-Barrani Road, on my way to work in Delimara. When I returned home at 10 p.m., the dog was still there, so I went to collect it. I thawed the cat slightly using the cooker. Once it was no longer completely frozen, I took both the cat and the dog to the field, made the crosses during the night, and then walked to the church carrying everything. The full story is saved on my laptop.)

D. Inti ghidt li l animali dejjem sibtom mejtin kif tispjega l fatt l ewwel tnejn kienu zewgt iklieb identici?
(Q. You said you used to find animals dead. How do you explain the fact that the first two were identical dogs?).
R. Dawk kont sibthom mejtin flimkien go kaxxa taz-zraben, jien kont sibthom H’Attard kwazi hdejn il-pitkalija. Kont rajt il kaxxa f’nofs it-triq u ghidt din x’fiha l kaxxa u x’hin iccejjat sibt iz zewgt griewi mejtin fiha u min hemm bdiet l-idea. Hadtom mieghi frizajtom fil-friza tal-garaxx u hrigt l ewwel wiehed biex inwahhlu fis 16 ta’ Ottubru 2011 mad-dar tal Bazzu u imbghad ergajt ghamilt l-istess meta wahhalt mal-oratorju.
(A. I had found them dead together in a shoebox in Ħ'Attard, near the vegetable market. I saw the box in the middle of the road, got curious about what was inside, and when I checked, I found two dead puppies. That's where the idea came from. I took them with me and put them in the freezer I had in the garage. Later, I took one out and hung it at Bazzu's house on 16th October 2011. I did the same with the second one, which I hung near the Oratory.

D. Kien hemm fejn qbizt xhur minghajr ma wahalt xejn x kienet tkun ir raguni?
(Q. There were times when you skipped some months and didn’t hang anything. What was the reason?)
R. Jew ghax inkun xoghol jew ghax ma nkunx sibt annimali mejtin.
(A. Either I was working, or I couldn’t find any dead animals.)

D. Aparti id dar tal-bazzu u ta triq Baskal Buhagiar il postijiet l-ohra kif kont taghzel fejn ser twahhal?
(Q. Apart from Bazzu’s house and Baskal Buhagiar Street, how did you choose the other places where you hung them?)
R. Nghid illum niehu cans ma dik l-istatwa jew mat tali post u jekk ma nsibx nies inwahhlu.
(A. I would just say to myself, "Today I’ll take the chance and hang one near that statue or at that spot," and if I didn’t run into anyone, I’d go ahead and hang it.)

D. Ha nsqasik fuq ta Pjazza Brittanja, ghalfejn hemmhekk wahalt zewgt islaleb bi fdalijiet biss ta qtates u mhux qtates shah?
(Q. Let me ask you about the incident at Britannia Square. Why did you hang two crosses with only cat remains, and not the whole cat bodies?)
R. Dawk meta sibtom dawk il qtates kienu bdew jintnu u wara li gbartom qtajtilhom is-saqajn u denb u armejt il kumplament maz-zibel.
(A. When I found those cats, they were already decomposing and smelled badly. After picking them up, I cut off the legs and tail and threw the rest away with the rubbish.)

D. Nibqghu pjazza Brittanja. F’ x’hin kont mort twahhal dawn is-slaleb?
(Q. Again, regarding the ones at Britannia Square—what time did you hang those crosses?)
R. Dak kont qomt tard u ghamilt zewgt islaleb mil injam li sibt ta malajr u kont ser indendilom mal istatwa ta San Tumas li hawn wara l bank u ma stajtx ghax kienu il hin kollu ghaddejin in nies u ghamiltom Pjazza Brittanja.
(A. That day, I woke up late and quickly made two crosses from some wood I found. I had planned to hang them near the statue of Saint Thomas by the bank, but I couldn’t do it because there were always people passing by. So instead, I hung them in Britannia Square.)

D. Tista tghidli kif kont ghamilt ta’ Pjazza Brittanja meta kont fuq il-post, kif hadtom is-slaleb u jekk tiftakarx xi haga partikolari milli kien gara fuq il-post?
(Q. Can you tell me how you carried out the act at Britannia Square—how you brought the crosses, and whether you remember anything specific that happened at the scene?)
R. Jien kont hadt is-slaleb mohbijin taht il-gakketta, wasalt fuq il-post niftakar li ghadda ragel u gejna wicc i m b wicc u malli ma kienux ghaddejjin nies wahhalt wiehed u imbgahd wara ftit wahhalt iehor.
(A. I hid the crosses under my jacket and went to the site. I remember an old man passed by, and we ended up facing each other. Once there was no one in sight, I hung one cross, and then some time later, the other one.)

D. Ara fuq il-post kien waqalek xi haga u wara inti gbarta u tlaqt l-hemm ghax tidher fuq filmat tac cctv ara tiftakarx x’kien waqghalek?
(Q. At that place, you dropped something. Later, you picked it up and left because you were seen on CCTV. Do you remember what you dropped?)
R. Kien waqghali id-denb min ma wiehed mis slaleb u kont gbartu u armejtu fil-wied tal-isperanza.
(A. I had dropped the tail from one of the crosses. I picked it up and threw it into Speranza Valley.)

D. L-ittri li kont tikteb mhux dejjem kienu fuq barra tal qattus gieli kien hemm minnhom li l ittri instghabu taht il-gilda ghalfejn kont taghmel hekk u kif kont taghmel hekk?
(Q. The letters you used to write weren’t always affixed to the cats externally — some were found under the skin. Why did you do this, and how did you do it?)
R. Kif ikunu mejtin kont esperimentajt li naghmilha taht il gilda ghax hsibt li aktar kont inqajjem agha fil-midja.
(A. Since they were already dead, I experimented with placing the letters under the skin because I thought it would cause more of a stir in the media.)

D. Kieku dan ma kienx jidher fil-midja kont tkompli taghmel dawn l-affarijiet?
(Q. If the media hadn’t reported on them, would you have continued doing it?)
R. Nahseb li kont nieqaf u nkompli nitkisser.
(A. I think I would have stopped and ended up depressed.)

D. X’sodifazzjon kont tiehu meta twahhal dawn is-slaleb?
(Q. What kind of satisfaction did you get from hanging these crosses?)
R. Kont niehu fiducja fiha in nifsi meta jirnexxili imma wara jumejn kont nerggha nitlef (p.4) il-motivazzjoni u ma jirnexxili naghmel xejn. Meta jghaddi xahar iehor kont nerga naghmel ohra u kont nirraguna Ii jekk jirnexili ma ninqabadx hajti tinbidel ghal ahjar.
(A. I would gain confidence in myself when I succeeded, but after two days I would lose motivation again and end up unable to do anything. After about a month, I would do it again, telling myself that if I managed not to get caught, my life might finally turn around for the better.)

D. Qieghed nifhem sewwa li dawn qisek kont tahseb li qed tuzom bhala sagrificcju ghalik?
(Q. Am I understanding correctly that you were using them as a kind of sacrifice for yourself?)
R. Le mhux dak l-iskop.
(A. No, that wasn’t the purpose.).

D. X’kien l-iskop ezatt?
(Q. What exactly was the purpose?)
R. Il-midja meta issemghi kienet qiesa terga ittini naqra fiducja fija innifsi li jiena kapaci ghal xi haga.
(A. Whenever the media mentioned them, it served to boost my confidence and made me believe I was capable of doing something.)

D. Iggifieri int kont ser tibqa sejjer hekk ghal dejjem?
(Q. So does that mean you were planning to keep going forever?)
R. Wara l ahhar wahda kont iddecidejt li nieqaf.
(A. After the last one, I had decided to stop.)

D. Ghalfejn iddecidejt li tieqaf?
(Q. Why had you decided to stop?)
R. Propja anki wara ohrajn kont iddecidejt li nieqaf imma din id darba kont determinat u ta qabel din f zewgt id drabi kont sibt zewg iqtates mejtin u kien irnexxili ma nigboromx kont ikkontrolajt lili innifsi imma imbaghad sibt il kelb kelli qattus qieghed iffrizat u ergajt waqajt, ghax anki kont deciz li narmi il-qattus li kelli fil-friza
(A. Actually, even after the previous one, I had decided to stop. But this time, I was truly determined to stop for good. On two occasions, I came across dead cats and managed not to pick them up—I was controlling myself. But then I found the dog and still had the frozen cat, and I ended up doing it again, even though I had been determined to dispose of the one in the freezer.)

D. Il-medicina psikjatrika kont ghadek suppost qieghed tiehu?
(Q. Were you still supposedly undergoing psychiatric treatment?)
R. Iva.
(A. Yes.)

D. Pero inti ghidt li waqaft tiehu ghalxiex?
(Q. But you told me you had stopped. Why?)
R. Kienet intilfitli r-ricetta jew ma kellix aptit ingedida u kont qieghed inhossni tajjeb u ghidt nghaddi minghajra u ma hadtx aktar.
(A. I had lost the prescription for the free medication, and I didn’t want to renew it. I was feeling fine and thought I could manage without it, so I stopped taking it.)

D. Jiddispjacik talli ghamilt u jekk iva ghalfejn?
(Q. Are you sorry for what you did? If so, why?)
R. Jiddispjacini imma li kieku ma ghamiltomx u ma sibtx il fiducja fihom aktar kont nitlef il motivazzjoni u nghid li ma jien tajjeb ghal xejn.
(A. I am sorry. But at the time, if I hadn’t done that and hadn’t tried to boost my morale, I might have lost all motivation and ended up thinking I was worthless.)

D. Tixtieq izzid xi haga ohra?
(Q. Would you like to add anything else?)
R. Le, li nixtieq nghid jien inhobb l animali u qatt ma hqart animali jien dawn kollha sibtom mejtin.
(A. No. I just want to say that I love animals and have never harmed any. I found all of them already dead.)

Din l-istqarrija hija il-verita kollha, ghamiltha jiena minn jeddi, minghajr ebda weghdi ta’ favuri jew vantaggi u minghajr ebda biza jew theddid, u wara li qrajta naghzel li niffirma.
(This police statement is true. I made it of my own free will, without fear or threats. After reading it, I choose to sign it.).

Moqrija (Read)
Hin: 00:25hrs (Time: 00:25hrs)

Edmond Cuschieri (Spettur)
Nicholas Grech (ID: ---)
Joseph Busuttil (Spettur)

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The Police, after receiving the CD I had given them, became even more convinced — beyond their initial belief — that I had not harmed or killed any animals. They were so certain of this that they didn’t even bother to examine the three pet cats I had at home. In fact, they didn’t even know how many cats I had—during the media conference, they said I had only two. The media, like parrots, just repeated the same mistake without question.

The Times even invented a story, claiming they had interviewed my neighbors. But my neighbors knew very well I had three cats, not two, as they used to see me with them outside my home and often asked me about them. Most likely, The Times spoke only with the Police days after my arrest, and based on that conversation, fabricated a story to feed their readers — prioritizing speculation and ad revenue over truth.

If the Police had even the slightest suspicion that I had harmed or killed animals, they would have confiscated my pets and questioned me relentlessly: asking where I found the animals, how I captured and killed them, etc. Yet, they didn’t.

They must have been incredibly incompetent for me to supposedly commit the same act once, twice, then a third time ... and by the twelfth time — almost always on the same date each month, in specific locations within the same town — they still never managed to catch me red-handed. What more could I have done to make it easier for them? Their failure to catch me speaks to their sheer investigative incompetence.

Despite their complete conviction — without the slightest doubt — that I had never harmed or killed animals, they BLATANTLY CHOSE TO FRAME ME with false accusations. Among them were that I had "killed animals of the domestic type or that belong to a wild race but had been domesticated (tamed)," and that I had "made violation of tombs or burial sites in the crypt and ossuary that form part of the Archipretal Church of Mosta."

When I told them that I did these things to raise my self-confidence — just as I had made them believe I had stopped taking my medication, when in fact I had NEVER taken it at all (I knew admitting this would give that sadist psychiatrist David Cassar a reason to force an injection on me) — I also led them to believe I was unhappy with myself and needed to do these things to boost my morale.

I believe one must be completely mad to confess to doing something intentionally. And since psychiatry is fake and baseless, the easiest tactic is to invent a psychological problem to reduce your responsibility. What matters most is simply being creative.

Notice how the media had inside information from the start (was arrested on 19-Mar-14, above article dated the day after 20th Mar!) that I, Nicholas Grech, only used animals that were already dead. Yet, they deliberately spread false accusations, wrongly labeling me as the "Mosta cat killer" and fueling public outrage against me. In doing so, they actively aided the police in framing me.

The irony of life: I am an animal lover to such an extent that — before my arrest, as my colleagues at work can attest — I played my part and even burdened myself with collecting signatures to petition the government for a referendum to abolish spring hunting. Yet I was framed and had my character assassinated by the police with unfounded accusations, falsely portrayed as someone who used to maltreat and kill animals.

The referendum was eventually held about a year later, in 2015, and failed to pass — leaving Malta a living hell for animals and nature lovers.

In the screenshot above, taken from the Facebook profile of one of the corrupt police officers involved — now lawyer and then Police Inspector Edmond Cuschieri, an avid hunter himself — he is seen listing “hunting” as one of his (sadistic) hobbies. Many of his Facebook friends appear to be hunters as well. Being so "competent" in the matter, as a hunter himself, he even chose to write his dissertation / thesis to become a lawyer — two years after my character assassination, in 2016 — on the subject.

On a small island congested with traffic—where people use their cars even for the shortest errands—I used to be an ardent cyclist. I was something of a pioneer in this regard, cycling around 35 km a day to and from work. On my rides, especially during night shifts, I would sometimes come across the lifeless bodies of animals—like cats—that had been hit and killed by speeding cars.

I began collecting some of them. I would place them on makeshift crosses and hang them around my hometown, Mosta—partly as a satirical message aimed at a local, and partly to provoke thought. My intention was to convey two points:

1. “I’m only using what you’ve left behind. Instead of blaming me, perhaps you should reflect on your own irresponsibility towards the environment and animals. If more people had switched from cars to bicycles, as I did, far fewer animals would be killed on the roads.”
2. “Why is it that I’m vilified for doing something provocative with animals already found dead — yet you remain silent when others kill animals for fun, through hunting or trapping, which is considered a 'pastime' in Malta? The real hypocrisy lies there.”

As M.C. Escher said, “Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.” I was persecuted and vilified simply for using animals that were already dead — yet those who pride themselves on killing animals for sport continue their macabre hobby without consequence. If my actions were condemned, how much more should their sadistic pastime be outlawed once and for all?

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In summary, the evidence proving the frame-ups and character assassination the police intentionally carried out against me includes, among other things:

1. The Police statement above:
   1. Nowhere in it do they question me about the things they eventually accused me of.
   2. Nowhere in it do they doubt my version of events when responding to their questions.
   3. When they took me home and I handed over the keys and a CD containing information, they even more convinced that I was telling the truth.
   4. Nowhere do they mention having any evidence from autopsies on the animals—or anything else—that contradicts my statements.
2. The screenshot above from the MaltaToday article:
   1. This clearly shows that the media had inside information from none other than the police, stating I had simply made use of animals that were already dead.
3. My three pet cats at home, which no one bothered to examine:
   1. The police didn’t even know how many I had. They stated I had only two, likely because during the two weeks of continuous surveillance before my arrest, they often saw me outside with only two of the three cats (as one was more reclusive). From this, they became even more convinced that I loved and cared for my pets.
   2. Photos on my laptop showed four pets in total—though one had died back in 2009. Still, thinking I had only two, they never even investigated the fate of the other two cats in the photos.
   3. This contradicts their own accusations of cruelty and killing "domesticated" animals to make it sound even more macabre. On one hand, they painted me as a cruel psychopath, and on the other hand, they admitted my two cats were well cared for and "well fed." If I truly had such diabolical intentions, wouldn't I have started with my own pets — who were always available — rather than spend time and money feeding them, cleaning after them, and even arguing with my elderly mother who often complained that I had turned our home into a "farmhouse" with the cats running around, scratching furniture, and sleeping on my bed?
   4. The complete lack of involvement from Animal Welfare authorities: How could such serious accusations not involve the Animal Welfare department? Shouldn’t they have checked the welfare of the cats I supposedly had at home? The police didn’t even show concern about who would care for my pets after my arrest. Shouldn’t those from Animal Welfare have shown some initiative?
   5. The police's search of my home before my arrest: They showed no interest in the welfare of my cats. This is quite telling — it suggests that their only intention from the start was to frame me. It's as if one is accused of being a pedophile, and the authorities — knowing it's false — don’t even bother to check on the adopted children he lives with.
   6. When the police took me home during interrogation: I gave them the keys and the CD. Had they found even the slightest suspicion of animal maltreatment — let alone evidence of animal killing — they would have seized my pets or involved Animal Welfare. But they didn’t.
4. The confirmation by the magistrate in the ruling, specifically on page 4, where:
   1. he clearly stated that the animals were already dead when I found them. (He must have consulted with the police before committing this statement to writing.)
   2. If there had been even the slightest doubt, you can be sure he would have mentioned it — either in addition or instead.

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Abuses by Police Officers Edmond Cuschieri, Joseph Busuttil, and Raymond Zammit in relation to my second court case of 2014:

1. The officers engaged in a deliberate campaign of character assassination aimed at undermining my personal integrity and credibility.
2. They incited public animosity and hostility against me, fostering an environment of prejudice and bias within the community.
3. They vilified me by portraying me as a dangerous and psychopathic individual, falsely accusing me of harming animals and desecrating tombs, thereby generating unwarranted fear and revulsion.
4. They defamed me by making unfounded and damaging statements, which significantly tarnished my personal and social reputation.
5. They prejudiced the judicial process by holding a media conference prior to my court appearance, during which they presented accusations in an inflammatory and sensationalized manner designed to bias public opinion and the court against me. This conduct resulted in widespread media portrayal of me as mentally unstable, including defamatory labels such as “cat killer,” which further prejudiced the fairness of my trial.
6. They abused their official positions of authority and public trust by disseminating hearsay, rumors, and unsubstantiated allegations, thereby compromising the integrity of the investigation and the judicial proceedings.
7. Rather than formally accusing me of littering public places with dead animals or unlawfully entering the church crypt, these officers instead made unfounded accusations and framed me (see the earlier details). They were fully convinced I had done none of the alleged acts. For example, they accused me of having mistreated and killed animals, despite the fact that I owned three pet cats at home and they made no effort to investigate this claim or to assign anyone competent to do so. Furthermore, they accused me of violating tombs, even though they had already entered the crypt before my arrest and personally witnessed that I did nothing of the sort. I was only conducting research there. This shows that their accusations were intentionally baseless and deliberately misleading.
8. These actions were not accidental or negligent; they were intentional and premeditated abuses of power. The officers were in a position to prevent such wrongful acts but chose not to do so. Since I had already been labeled mentally ill, they exploited this stigma to discredit me further. Their accusations were crafted to sound as grotesque and disturbing as possible, ensuring the case would never proceed to a point where they had to provide concrete evidence. This tactic protected them from being exposed for fabricating charges and framing me.
9. The fact that they targeted someone who had been previously — and fraudulently — labeled mentally ill, exploiting that stigma, is particularly egregious. While abusing anyone is unacceptable, doing so to a person perceived as vulnerable or mentally unwell is especially cruel and unethical. Their behavior demonstrates a clear abuse of authority and disregard for my rights and dignity.
10. Additionally, they failed to take any action against the hate speech directed at me on social media and in the broader media landscape. This omission is telling, considering that the police themselves incited hatred against me from the beginning. For instance, the media repeatedly referred to me as a “cat killer” before any verdict had been reached, which in itself constituted an incitement to hatred and prejudice. This treatment contrasts starkly with the way other cases are handled, such as the recent case of a policeman who was run over by a car, where public and institutional responses were very different.

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In a corrupt country since ever like Malta, don't expect these frame-ups happened just to me, were an isolated case, for they have been happening since long to the point that even in my other Court case, my first one of 2001 they had tried to frame me up. And if they happened with the PN in government who portray (so falsely) themselves as the pure virgins, they happen even more under the PL who have made Malta renowned worldwide for its corruption.