The case in question revolved around the bodies of 60-year old Joseph Attard, known as il-bomba, and 20-year-old Katya Farrugia, which were found in a remote area of Ghaxaq at about midday.

Ms Mifsud was found dead in the passenger seat of a Hyundai Stellar with two shotgun wounds to the neck and collar bone area. Attard was found lying in a pool of blood outside the vehicle with a shotgun lying next to him. He had two shotgun wounds under the chin, which police believe were self-inflicted.

Assistant Commissioner Alfred Abela said that preliminary investigations suggested that the case was almost certainly one where Attard murdered Ms Farrugia and then turned the gun on himself.

He did, however, say that police still needed the autopsy, toxicology and ballistics reports before they could draw up a formal conclusion and declare the case solved.

In answer to a question from The Malta Independent, Police Superintendent Pierre Calleja said that a search on Ms Farrugia’s person revealed various sachets of a substance which the police suspect to be heroin. Apart from the gunshot wounds to the neck, there were no other signs of violence on her body.

The police also confirmed that Attard was well-known to them and had a criminal record. They also confirmed that the shotgun found at the scene of the crime was a double-barrelled one which was registered in his name.

Other police sources did, however, tell TMID that the case was one of many twists and turns, including involvement in prostitution and drug abuse.

Marsalforn

The police have spoken to various people in the course of their investigation into the murder of Gozitan lawyer Michael Grech.

Police were informed at about 10pm on Tuesday that a shot had been fired in St Mary’s Street, Marsalforn. A body, with a single wound to the head, was subsequently found in a garage. Further investigations established that the victim was Dr Grech and gunshot residue powder indicated that he had probably been shot in that same building. Blood tracks on the corner with Triq ix-Xtut suggested that there had been a struggle before Dr Grech was shot in the garage.

Police said that some people had been held for a short time while others for a longer period. They also said they had received various anonymous telephone calls offering information pertinent to the case. Asked whether it was suspected that one or more people killed Dr Grech, Supt. Calleja said: “Well it was one for sure. We are still investigating.” Asked whether police were getting the usual stone-walling when a murder is investigated in Gozo, Mr Calleja said that he was merely passing on an update of the situation in Gozo and had no more information.

He did, however, confirm that police were searching the area, both on the ground and underwater, to find the murder weapon. Investigations in both cases are continuing.