Mr Pullicino explained that during the interrogation, Vella told police that Josef Grech – who is facing separate criminal proceedings for the murder of Ms Attard – had approached him several times to kill a person but never told him who this person was.

Mr Pullicino said he told the inquiring magistrate that on one occasion he was with Grech when the plan was to push Ms Attard off a cliff but Ms Attard was too scared to go near the edge and the plan failed.

He said Vella told police that after he spoke to them (the police), he met Grech who, with his thumb and his index finger made a sign of a pistol, and he felt threatened.

Glen Borg also testified during yesterday’s sitting.

He explained that he was having a drink in the San Gwann bocci club on the night between 13 and 14 February.

While he was there, he said, Vella and Grech joined him at the table and when Grech left, Vella told him (Borg) that Grech had offered him Lm10,000 to kill a woman and that he would not even do it if he was given Lm100,000. The case was put off to 13 July.

Police inspectors Chris Pullicino and Carmelo Bartolo prosecuted while Magistrate Saviour Demicoli presided over the court.