No security cameras were present in the quartermaster stores at the police headquarters from which a heavy gold chain said to belong to murder victim Matthew Zahra disappeared last year, a court was told today.

This revelation was made as the compilation of evidence against the two men - Jason Galea and Ronald Urry - accused of murdering the 27-year-old Valletta resident, who had been reported missing on August 2012.

While Mr Galea had been questioned soon after Mr Zahra's disappearance, the case soon went cold.

But a breakthrough occurred in July 2013, following the murder of Mr Galea's 51-year-old brother-in-law, Mario Camilleri, known as l-Imnieħru, and his 21-year-old son, also named Mario. The two were buried in a field in Birżebbuġa, and as the field was scoured for evidence, the police unearthed human remains belonging to Mr Zahra.

Mr Zahra's partner, Crystle Grixti, had emphasised that Mr Zahra was wearing his gold chain when he went missing, pointing out that he did not wear it every day and insisting that it was a crucial lead for investigators.

The gold chain was seized by the police days after Mr Zahra's disappearance, from a third party who had bought it from Mr Galea.

According to Mr Galea, the chain had been his, but Mr Zahra had asked for it as a part payment for a loan on which he was charging usurious interest rates. But Ms Grixti and Mr Zahra's father Vince provided a different version of events.

In today's sitting, Inspector Fabian Fleri testified that on 16 May, 2013, fellow inspector Melvyn Camilleri had gone to the quartermaster stores because he needed to do some verifications on the gold chain, only to find that it had gone missing.

Insp. Fleri was asked to investigate the case, but while he has questioned several persons, he had no reasonable grounds on which to arraign anyone over the disappearance of the gold chain.

The inspector was then cross-examined by lawyer Stefano Filletti, who is appearing in parte civile for Mr Zahra's family, and said that any movement of objects held in the quartermaster stores is recorded in a ledger. The records show that the necklace had been moved from one part of the stores to another, but there was no record stating that it had been taken out of the stores.

Insp. Fleri also said that to his knowledge, the movement of people in and out of the stores is not recorded.

He elaborated further on the matter when replying to questions by lawyers Joe Giglio and Franco Debono, who are appearing for Mr Galea and Mr Urry respectively.

The inspector confirmed that the stores were lockable and manned by police officers on a 24-hour basis, and that there was no record of a break-in taking place.

He also noted that while there were a number of security cameras within the police headquarters, there were none at the quartermaster stores when he looked into the matter.

The case continues on 7 January.

Besides Insp. Fleri, inspectors Chris Pullicino, Michael Mallia and Louise Calleja are prosecuting. Lawyer Angie Muscat appeared along with Mr Urry.