The Malta Independent 28 April 2024, Sunday
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Hal Far open centre murder: Man sent to prison for life

Tuesday, 6 February 2018, 09:19 Last update: about 7 years ago

The jury trying Fodie Keita for the 2010 murder of Adame Diabate found him guilty of murder with 8 votes to 1, and guilty of hiding the body with 7 votes to 2.

Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi sentenced him to life in jail for the 2010 murder of Adame Diabate at Hal Far. Mizzi was not obliged impose a life sentence, given that the verdict was not unanimous, but the judge chose to do so nonetheless.

Diabate’s body was found buried in a shallow grave near the Hal Far open centre. A knife hilt with the letters “F K” was found at the scene.

The prosecution argued that Keita murdered Diabate by stabbing him several times and then crushing his skull with a rock, before stealing his mobile phone.  The Samsung mobile found in the possession of the accused had belonged to the victim but had Keita’s SIM card in it.

A fellow Hal Far Open Centre resident had reported hearing a sound behind a tree and thinking it was two people having sex. A voice, in the Malian Bambaram language, ordered him to keep on walking.

Three possible suspects came to mind, with the first being the accused, he had said.

Keita’s defence lawyers argued that although some sort of struggle must have taken place, no traces of the man’s DNA was found on the victim and none of the victim’s DNA was found on him. 

Over the weekend, jurors were addressed by judge Antonio Mizzi, who summed up the evidence and legal points upon which the jury is to make its decision. Earlier today, the jury retired to reach a verdict.

Lawyers Lara Lanfranco and Kevin Valletta from the Office of the Attorney General are prosecuting, while lawyers Marc Sant and Simon Micallef Stafrace are defence counsel. 

 

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