Police have arrested a man in connection with the double murder which took place in Sliema last week.
The arrest was made at a hideout in Triq San Frangisk in Floriana on Tuesday afternoon after evidence was found in the getaway car used in the murder. Dramatic footage acquired by The Malta Independent shows shots being fired during the raid.
A police spokesperson said that a full statement will be made later today as investigations are still in their early stages.
It is being reported that an Albanian man by the name of Daniel Muka has been arrested by the police.
Muka is not a new name to police: he was arrested in 2017 and charged in connection with a jewellry heist at Diamonds International in Tigne, where he allegedly pointed a weapon at police and pulled the trigger - only for the gun to jam.
Officers were seen carrying a gun in an evidence bag out of the building, which has advertising for a private investigation firm on its outside.
Chris Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski were killed inside their home on Tuesday after three persons entered their home and opened fire at around 10.30pm. The three persons spent no more than four minutes inside the Sliema house, before leaving in a car with a getaway driver waiting for them.
The car, a Volkswagen Tiguain, was reportedly found in a car park at St. Luke's Hospital in Pieta by police yesterday. TVM said that other objects that indicate that these were professional hitmen had also been found in the vehicle. It said the suspects are believed to be Eastern European.
The Malta Independent reported last Sunday that investigations into the case had reached a "delicate juncture", with police not excluding that the three men were hired guns – contract killers – who were commissioned to kill the couple.
This newsroom also reported that Pandolfino’s sister and her two sons had been staying at the same house but stayed out late. The move could have saved their lives, but sources said the killers could have been keeping the family under surveillance, and only made the move once it was clear that the woman and her sons were still out.
Pandolfino is a former investment banker turned art collector while his partner was an art dealer. Despite initial reports that this was a burglary attempt, nothing was reportedly stolen from the house.
Police were said to be looking at the victims’ social and commercial links to try and establish a motive.
Photos: Alenka Falzon