A former business associate of developer Joseph Portelli has been granted bail after allegedly entering Mercury Towers carrying a steak knife and making his way towards Portelli’s offices.According to MaltaToday, 52-year-old Martin John Azzopardi appeared in court on Thursday following an incident at the St Julian’s complex on 27th October.The court heard that Azzopardi had been dining at a nearby restaurant, where he reportedly drank a bottle of wine before taking a steak knife with the restaurant staff’s permission.He then allegedly entered Mercury Towers and made his way upstairs towards the offices occupied by Portelli and his family.An employee noticed that Azzopardi appeared agitated and attempted to calm him down.Before meeting Portelli, Azzopardi reportedly left the knife wrapped in a napkin inside a nearby bathroom.The knife was discovered by an employee after Azzopardi had left, prompting a police report and his subsequent arrest.Azzopardi pleaded not guilty to the charges.His defence argued that he had left the knife behind before meeting Portelli and was therefore not carrying it during their conversation.Magistrate Gabriella Vella granted bail against an €800 deposit and a personal guarantee, while imposing strict conditions.These include a three-year protection order covering Portelli and his family, restrictions on entering several locations and electronic monitoring through an ankle bracelet.The court also heard that Azzopardi and his brothers had previously been convicted over a violent assault on Portelli in Gozo in 2002.The case remains ongoing, with Azzopardi presumed innocent of the latest charges unless proven guilty.The prosecution was led by police inspectors Pierguido Saliba and Christian Xuereb. Lawyer Gianella de Marco represented the parte civile. Magistrate Gabriella Vella presided over the arraignment.•