A defence lawyer in the trial of four men accused in relation to the murders of lawyer Carmel Chircop and journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia argued in court that Robert Agius, his client, was used as a scapegoat in the Caruana Galizia case.
Referring to middleman Melvin Theuma's testimony, he said that Johann Cremona, an associate of Yorgen Fenech (accused of being a mastermind in the murder) had told Theuma that the case would be considered closed after the Maksar brothers are arrested.
The accused are 'Ta' Maksar' brothers, Robert and Adrian Agius, Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio.
Vella and Robert Agius, Adrian's younger brother are accused of complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia by supplying the bomb that killed her in October 2017.
Adrian Agius is charged with commissioning the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop in 2015. Prosecutors insist that the hit was also carried out in complicity with Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio who are accused of executing Chircop's murder.
All four accused deny the charges against them.
"After Robert Agius was arrested, no one else was arrested in connection to the case. It seems like Cremona knew what he was saying," lawyer Alfred Abela told jurors on Saturday.
Yorgen Fenech was charged with masterminding the murder in 2019. The Maksar brothers were charged with supplying the bomb in 2021.
Abela continued where he left off on Friday, trying to poke holes in Vince Muscat's testimony. Muscat was the star witness in the case, having already pleaded guilty to his role in the Caruana Galizia murder and being granted a presidential pardon to tell all about the Carmel Chircop murder.
Abela argued that Melvin Theuma's testimony contradicts Muscat's. Theuma was also given a presidential pardon, but unlike Muscat, it was to tell all about the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder. His pardon led to the arrest of Yorgen Fenech, who police are accusing of masterminding the murder.
Theuma had told jurors in this case that he never met Robert or Adrian Agius, but he also said that he used to spend a lot of time at the Marsa potato shed. Meanwhile, Vince Muscat told jurors that the brothers used to be at the potato shed all the time. Abela used this to convince jurors that Muscat's testimony is unreliable.
Abela mentioned the place in Żebbuġ where Vince Muscat and others tested out a sniper rifle they wanted to use to kill Caruana Galizia. When testifying about this, Muscat had said they visited a certain 'Salvu tal-ġbejniet', but Muscat didn't know his last name.
"He was a gun enthusiast and suggested I try it," Abela told the jurors, quoting Muscat. The lawyer also pointed out that the SMS module of the bomb was set up in an area in Zebbuġ on 10 January 2017. "If you were the lead investigating officer on Malta's biggest case, wouldn't you go visit this place where?" the lawyer pointed out.
Abela accuses investigating officer Keith Arnaud of having no interest in finding 'Salvu tal-ġbejniet' and questioning him about all this. "They wanted to close the case with the Maksar brothers."