The search for Jean Paul Sofia, who was killed when a building in Kordin collapsed in late 2022, started only when his ID card was found in a van parked nearby, a court was told Tuesday.

The developers, contractor and architect involved in the building project were “totally unaware” of the number of workers who were on site at the time the building collapsed on 3 December.

"No one could tell us the exact number,” Assistant Commissioner Kenneth Haber testified in court.

The police were originally told that “some six workers” were involved, the officer recalled during the compilation of evidence against developers Matthew Schembri and Kurt Buhagiar, project architect Adriana Zammit and contractors Milomar and Dijana Jovicevic.

The five are pleading not guilty to the involuntary homicide of Jean Paul Sofia, 20.

Haber said civil protection officers and paramedics were engaged in the rescue operation when he had arrived on site.

Some men had been pulled out from the rubble “all covered in concrete.”

Rescuers wanted to establish the number of persons who had been on the site at the time of the accident, but this proved to be difficult. No one could give the exact number, the officer said. 

“No one was aware of what was going on or the number of persons on site. They were totally oblivious,” he said.

When somebody pointed to a parked van close to the accident site, the police found a wallet with Sofia’s ID card.

Haber said the police started a triangulation process to locate the young man’s mobile phone.

The case, presided over by Magistrate Rachel Montebello, continues.

Inspectors Paul Camilleri and Antonello Magri are prosecuting.

Lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell is counsel to Zammit.