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Stabbed By A Stranger: Hugo Chetcuti Had No Idea Why He Was Targeted

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Hugo Chetcuti had no idea who his stabber was and why he targeted him and had displayed such confusion on his deathbed.

The Paceville mogul’s brother Isaac Chetcuti appeared in court today to give a blow-by-blow account of the incident, as well as how Hugo had spoken about it while he was in a state of lucidity at hospital.

“On Saturday morning [the day after the incident], Hugo started asking me why a man he didn’t even known had stabbed him,” Chetcuti said. “He also asked me to ensure that his surgery was carried out by Mr Attard, a personal friend of his.”

Isaac spoke to Hugo in hospital the next day, but his condition had worsened by then as an infection had spread.

“He told me he was feeling severe pain and that he felt he was going to die,” he said. “I told him to stay strong and that Mr Attard was taking good care of him.”

A Serbian man who identifies himself as Bojan Cmelik, but who has also been identified as convicted armed robber Bojan Mitić, was in the dock today as Chetcuti described the events leading up to and following his brother’s stabbing.

Cmelik

Bojan Cmelik has been charged with the murder of Hugo Chetcuti

“Hugo messaged be in the morning to inform me he was organising a gathering of his family and managers to try out the menu of his new seafood restaurant in Paceville,” Chetcuti recounted. “I arrived at around 8pm and we were tasting cocktails and seafood and periodically going out for a cigarette. At one point, a handyman entered the restaurant and Hugo told him to fix a light at Hugo’s Terrace as quickly as possible because it was a Friday night.”

At around 10pm, Hugo, Isaac and their sister Sheryl went out for a cigarette, along with Hugo Group project manager Simon Attard and security guard James ‘Gypsy’ Farrugia, who sometimes acted as Hugo Chetcuti’s bodyguard. Chetcuti’s sister and his bodyguard soon left to visit the nearby Bacco’s Sticks & Sum – also a Hugo Group establishment – leaving the two Chetcutis alone with Attard.

“I remember someone shouting out ‘HUGO’ and approaching us from the stairs,” Isaac recounted. “My brother was well-known and many foreigners used to stop him in the street to shake his hand, take photos with him and congratulate him. In fact, my brother stretched out his arm, assuming the man wanted to shake his hand and I took a step back, not wanting to intrude upon their conversation. I saw the man put his hand around Hugo’s neck as though he was hugging him and then make two quick movements towards his stomach. Hugo was sitting on a stool and he kind of leaned forwards as though he was falling fast. My instincts told me something was wrong and, as I approached them, the man started running in the direction of Hugo’s Pizza and Pasta. I chased him till Burger King but he was too fast so I stopped and called the police.”

According to the testimony of police sergeant Shaun Axiaq, it was James Farrugia who took immediate care of Hugo Chetcuti.

“Farrugia said he was with Hugo all evening, but accompanied his sister to Bacco’s shortly after 10pm just to check if all the security personnel were present at the restaurant,” Axiaq said. “However, he was soon informed by another security guard that Hugo had just been stabbed. He found Hugo clutching his stomach at Hugo’s Hotel, tried to stem his wounds with tissues, accompanied him down the Paceville stairs, flagged down a taxi and drove to hospital with him.”

READ NEXT: 6 Projects Hugo Chetcuti Was Working On Before He Was Killed

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Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]

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