Mohammed Jallow, a migrant from Gambia, has given a court his version of the events which left his friend Lassana Cisse Souleymane dead and him with gunshot wounds.

Jallow was giving evidence against two soldiers charged with murdering the Ivorian migrant in what is believed to be Malta's first racially-motivated killing.

Francesco Fenech, 21, and Lorin Scicluna, 22, are denying charges of having murdered 42 year-old Lassana Cisse Souleymane in a drive-by shooting in Birżebbuġa on April 6.

The pair are also charged with the attempted murder of Jallow, 28, and another man, Ibrahim Bah, 27, who are both from Gambia.

Jallow, who was shot in the right buttock, testified this morning, telling magistrate Ian Farrugia how the shooting still affects him 3 months on, saying he was still having trouble urinating as a result of the gunshot wound. He did not recognise the accused in court today. 

Jallow did not see who shot him, he said. He had only seen lights from an approaching car and heard the shots which he had mistaken for firecrackers.

 Asked if he could recognize anyone in the courtroom in connection with the case, Jallow said he could not.

The witness was also unable to recall having given previously evidence from his hospital bed.

Earlier in the sitting, the prosecution asked for a ballistics expert to be appointed. The ballistics expert is to examine the weapon seized from murder accused Lorin Scicluna.

The expert will compare the bullets and casings found at the scene of the crime with those removed from Lassana’s body.

Lawyer Nadia Attard, from the Attorney General's office, informed the court that this expert would have to be from the Netherlands Forensic Institute because there are no such experts in Malta.

Also during Thursday’s sitting, a police inspector told the court that the weapons seized were registered on Scicluna’s name. He also paid the licence for target shooter A and B.

The make and serial number of the weapons were presented in the document.

Fenech is not registered on the police weapons system, which means that no weapons were ever registered in his name, the court was told.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Kris Busietta and Julian Farrugia are appearing for Lorin Scicluna.  Giannella DeMarco is appearing for Francesco Fenech, who is also assisted by lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell.

Inspector Keith Arnaud is prosecuting. Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi is parte civile.

The compilation of evidence will continue on August 29.