A big spark in the rear of the car driven by Daphne Caruana Galizia preceded the bomb explosion that killed the journalist on 16 October, a witness told the court today.

Charmaine Abela told Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit that, on that day, she was driving from Bidnija at around 2.55pm and that she had been around 30 metres from Caruana Galizia’s car when it exploded.

The magistrate today continued to hear witnesses in the compilation of evidence against three men accused of murdering journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

George Degiorgio, known as ic-Ciniz, his brother Alfred Degiorgio, known as il-Fulu, and Vince Muscat, il-Kohhu are accused of killing Caruana Galizia last October using a car bomb which was detonated metres away from her Bidnija home.

Abela, who was the second witness to take the stand today, said that she had noted a big spark in the rear of Caruana Galizia's car, moments before the car exploded.

Choking back tears as she recalled the day's events, Abela said that she recalled pieces flying everywhere when the car exploded.

After the blast, which left the journalist's burnt-out car in a field, Abela pulled into a drive-in.

Asked about the explosion itself, she was adamant about seeing a spark.

"The first one had come from the rear of the car... there was a big spark. The car then blew up and rolled into a field,” she told the Court.

Today’s sitting came days after a judge ruled that Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta must recuse himself from the investigation following a request by the Caruana Galizia family.

Earlier in the sitting, defence counsel Martin Fenech said the media sources should be taken to court to explain reports claiming that sources close to police were saying that the bomb was manufactured outside Malta.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit replied that media outlets are covered by law not to reveal their sources and asked the lawyer to file this request to the Police Commissioner.