Third man accused in Sliema double murder pleads not guilty

The third man accused of being involved in a shocking double murder which happened in Sliema last August pleaded not guilty before a court on Friday.

Danish national Jesper Kristiansen, who is 30 years old, appeared before Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech after being extradited to Malta from Spain, which is where he was arrested a few days after the double murder.

 

Kristiansen is the third person to be charged in connection with the double murder which took the lives of Christian Pandolfino and his partner Ivor Maciejowski on 18 August.

Two men have already been charged over the murder: Albanian national Daniel Muka and North Macedonian Viktor Dragomanski. Police believe Muka pulled the trigger.  Both Muka and Dragomanski deny their involvement in the murder.

Kristiansen was arrested by Spanish police on 30 August in a hotel in the city of Cadiz after a joint operation between Maltese and Spanish police with the help of Interpol.

 

The Dane pleaded not guilty to murder, aggravated theft, illegal arrest of the victims, the possession of a firearm during the commission of the crime, driving a stolen Volkswagen Tiguan, stealing registration plates from another car parked in St Julian’s on August 3 as well other registration plates two months prior. 

No bail was requested because the accused has no fixed address in Malta.

Magistrate Frendo Dimech ordered the freezing of the accused’s assets in terms of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Lawyer George Camilleri from the Attorney General’s office and Major Crimes Inspectors James Grech and Colin Sheldon prosecuted. Lawyer Stefano Filletti appeared for the accused while lawyers Joe Giglio and Roberta Bonello appeared on behalf of the victims' families.