Aleksandar Stojanovic was supplied with a shotgun, a getaway car and promised €5,000 to murder Walid Salah Abdel Moteleb Mohamed, a court in Gozo heard.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech presided over the compilation of evidence against Stojanovic, in which he is accused of Walid's murder, on Friday, hearing several witnesses testify.

Due to ongoing police investigations, much of the details and well-known criminal individuals involved are subject to a court-imposed ban on reporting.

Amongst the witnesses heard was Andre Galea, a friend of the accused who said he was "like a brother" to him. The two had been introduced by a mutual acquaintance, a car dealer, who is under investigation for other crimes.

"He was quite a good friend of mine, always helped me. We had a very good relationship almost like husband and wife. End of 2017, or early 2018 he went away for four days and came back from wherever he was and said he had some major problems. I asked him what they were and he said he had some problems with a guy," Galea testified.

"I asked what the problem was. He said 'I went all the way with a guy'," the witness said, adding that the accused told him he had killed a man.

Galea said that the accused told him that the car dealer had thrown him out of the flat because of the killing. Stojanovic went back to live with Galea.

The car dealer threw him out because he didn't want to be associated with him, the witness said, explaining to him that it was very dangerous to be seen together.

Galea said that when asked who he had killed, the accused said it was 'an Arab'. "He shot him five times with a shotgun," the witness said.

Stojanovic shook his head as he heard the testimony.

"He showed me a picture of a news report saying it was the first murder of the year... and said 'it's all me'," Galea testified.

'Chop the car'

The accused had used a BMW imported by the car dealer to go to and from the murder scene. "The only purpose for the car to be in Gozo was for the murder. He was worried about CCTV cameras on [the Gozo Channel Ferry] boat... the car dealer and Stojanovic later took the BMW to another known criminal who sells BMWs and parts, telling him to 'chop the f***ing car'," Galea testified.

He added that Stojanovic was "very, very angry" because the car was supposed to be chopped up and it had to disappear but it wasn't.

Lawyer Franco Debono, appearing for Stojanovic, asked the witness about a €2,000 debt between Galea and the accused. "I said that if Stojanovic isn't going to pay me back, I would go and tell about the murder," Galea responded from the witness stand, adding that the accused was a heavy heroin user.

Magistrate Frendo Dimech asked the witness: "So, when he stole €2,000 you kicked him out and when he tells you he murdered someone you welcome him back in?"

Galea replied: "I was very, very, angry about the €2,000 and chucked him out. I never had any part of the things he did or helped him or nothing."

Even though they weren't living together they remained in each other's company at the house, he went on, saying that sometimes he would take the accused to the methadone clinic himself.

"I think he confessed to the murder to me so I feel sorry for him and let him back in... That's his mistake," Galea said, insisting, in cross-examination, that he hadn't taken any drugs that day. "The murder was none of my business," he said.

Galea said that the car dealer who commissioned the murder was supposed to pay €5,000 but never did.

Earlier in the sitting, prosecuting Superintendent Keith Arnaud also testified.

He told the court that he had investigated an argument between Stojanovic and Galea and an alleged plan by Stojanovic to get back at Galea. The defendant had told the police that there was trouble over the stolen €2,000, but denied making any plan. The defendant was staying at Galea's home in Msida as he was homeless, said the Superintendent. Later Stojanovic was accused by Galea of stealing €2,000 from him.

Arnaud recounted how Galea had said that the accused had told him he had taken the victim to a field in San Dimitri, limits of Għarb and shot him dead. A car dealer had provided him with the BMW and the shotgun, said the superintendent.

The plan was to sell the BMW and have it scrapped but this never happened as the police found the car before that, Arnaud said.

The case continues.

Lawyer Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb appeared as defence counsel. Lawyers Etienne Savona and Anthony Vella appeared for the Attorney General's office. Superintendent Keith Arnaud and Inspector Bernard Charles Spiteri prosecuted.