EXTRACTS OF WITNESS STATEMENTS FROM GAUCI IN RESPONSE TO PHOTOSPREADS AND ARTIST IMPRESSIONS SHOWN TO HIM BY SCOTTISH POLICE BETWEEN 1989 AND 1991.

EXTRACT OF STATEMENT BY DCI BELL

Prior to any photographs being shown to Gauci he assisted the police in the compilation of a photofit compilation and an artist’s impression of the man he sold the clothing to.

Artists Impression compiled 13th September, 1989

Tony Gauci: "I looked at photographs to see if I could pick out anyone in the photographs as the man I sold clothing to in November or December 1988 and had given a description of to the police. I was shown two cards of photographs which had a total of 19 photographs thereon.

"I identified a photograph of a man on one of the cards. This photograph is similar to the man who bought the clothing. The man in the photograph I identified as too young to be the man who bought the clothing. If the man in the photograph was older by about twenty years he would look like the man who bought the clothing.

"I have been asked in what way the photograph is similar to the man who bought the clothing. The photograph looks likes the man’s features at the eyes, nose, mouth and shape of face. the hair of the customer was similar but shorter to that in the photograph."

Tony Gauci: "I attended at police HQ and I was shown a number of photographs of men. I did not see the man who I sold the clothing to. i pointed out one photograph of a man who had the same hairstyle. This is not the man that I sold the clothing to as the man in the photograph is too young."

Tony Gauci: "I was shown a photograph of a man which had been taken from a video recording shown to me of a television receiver by utilising the freeze frame facility of the video recorder.

"I can state that the photograph that I was shown is similar to the man that came into my shop, athough I am unable to say that this is definitely the same person. "I noted that the eyebrows and upwards on the photograph are the same, although the hairstyle of the man that came into my shop was more full and rounded and did not recede at the temples.

"The face on the photograph is also thinner than the person who came into the shop. I am unable to state from this photograph that this is the person who came into my shop."

DCI Bell: "I instructed DCI Crawford to prepare a selection of photographs, 12 in number to include:

Abu Talb - suspect; Captain El Wahabi - Iraqi Air Malta Captain El Khayyat - suspect put forward by BKA.

"About 19.30 the same date Tony Gauci attended at GHQ to view photographs. He was unable to identify any of the persons shown as being the man who bought the clothing from his shop in November 1988."

Tony Gauci: "About 6 or 8 weeks ago my brother Paul was reading an English Sunday paper (I believe the Sunday Times of 5th November 1989) and he read some bits of the report to me - including that the man was in prison. I can’t read English. "He came to me and he showed me a page of paper where a picture of a man was printed. I think the man’s name was ‘Abdilla’.

"Paul read out the report, he asked me is this the man who bought the clothing and he made some remarks about the trouble it was causing the family.

"I told him that I did not know if it was the man or not because I did not want him to know what I thought or to cause any more trouble. However, I think the photograph printed in the newspaper may have been the man who bought the clothing. It looks like him.

"I have been asked the name written in the paper and I think it was Abdilla but I am not sure.

"I have been asked if I would know the name again and I would (DS Byrne then asked if the name was Abu Talb and the witness very positively agreed that it was).

"That was the name, Abu Talb."

No photographs were shown to Gauci by the police in relation to this matter.

Tony Gauci: "I was shown a card containing 12 photographs - production number DP61. I examined these photgraphs but I could not see the photograph of the man who purchased the clothing and I informed Mr Bell that the man’s photograph was not present.

"I pointed out photograph number 9 which was similar in the shape of the face and style of hair, but it was not the photograph of the man I described.

"I also informed Mr Bell that photographs numbered 5, 6 and 7 were of the correct age of the man I had decscribed.

"Mr Bell then opened another brown envelope - production number DP57. I examined each of these photgraphs but could not see the photograph of the man who had purchased the clothing."

Tony Gauci: "I have shown a number of photographs (extensions of stay photographs with applications). I have pointed out three photographs which are similar in appearance to the man who bought the cothing. They are:

1. Saleem Mohd Abdel Tama born 2.4.58
   Similar in facial features but not old enough.
   
2. Mr Khalil, no further particulars on form. Born 1957.
   Father’s fore name Ahmed.
   Sudanese passport holder number 65520.
   
3. Iyad Salama Hussain Mustafa Abueweiner
   Born 10.07.70.
   Palestinian passport holder number 34008.
   Simila in style of haircut only.
   

"I have been shown many photgraphs over the last years but I have never seen a photograph of the man who bought the clothing."

Tony Gauci: "I was asked to try and picture the man in my mind that I was told that the photograph of the man may not be in the photographs that I was about to be shown today.

"Mr Bell took the brown paper from the card - production number DC839. I saw the card was full of photographs of men.

"I looked at every photgraph on the card and I counted a total of 123 photographs on the card. The first impression I had was that all of the photographs were of men younger than the man who bought the clothing.

"I told Mr Bell this. I was asked to look at all of the photographs carefully and to try and allow for any age difference.

"I then pointed out one of the photographs and I later counted the photographs from the left and number one to the photograph at number eight.

"I would say that the photograph at number eight is similar to the man who bought the clothing. His hair is perhaps a bit longer. The eyebrows are the same, the nose is the same and his chin and shape of face is the same.

"The man in the photograph number eight is, in my opinion 30 years, he would perhaps have to look about ten years or more older and he would look like the man who bought the clothes. It has been a long time now and I can only say that his photograph resembles the man who bought the clothing, but is younger.

"I was asked to sign my name across the top left side of the photograph to indicate that this was the photograph that i indicated to the police. I signed the photograph. I also signed the label for the card containing the photographs, production label number DC839.

"Mr Bell wrote down a statement for me. I can only say that of all the photographs I have been shown, this photograph number eight is the only one really similar to the manwho bought the clothing if he was a bit older, other than the one my brother showed me. "I have been asked about the umbrella...."