The fifth day of the trial concerning the 2020 double murder of Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski continued on Friday before Madam Justice Natasha Galea Sciberras in Hall 22, with a string of witnesses detailing surveillance evidence, vehicle rentals, and movements of the accused in the days following the killings.
One of the accused accused, Daniel Muka, once again refused to enter the courtroom, prompting the judge to have him follow proceedings from a separate chamber via video link, as has been the practice since the trial began.
Pandolfino, 58, and Maciejowski, 30, were shot dead in their home on Locker Street, Sliema, on the evening of 18 August 2020. Two men stand accused of the murders and have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Transport Malta employees take the stand
The first to testify was Stephen Cachia, a representative from Transport Malta. His appearance was brief, explaining the cars under who they were written under, with no cross-examination.
He was followed by Charlo Saliba, who said that in August 2020, he worked in Transport Malta's call centre. Saliba confirmed that he had received a police request, made by Inspector James Grech, to trace the movements of a vehicle with the number plate JED082. He explained that when this number was input into their system, it showed that the vehicle had passed through various locations.
Next to take the stand was Daniel Vella, a mechanic and owner of a small car rental business, Daniel Car Rentals. Vella testified that he had rented a white Peugeot 108 to Daniel Muka on 12 May 2020, initially for five days. Muka later extended the lease for another month, which he paid for, and this kept going for up to three months.
During that time, Muka was involved in a car accident in San Ġwann, which was deemed to be his fault. After filing a claim, Vella provided him with a replacement vehicle. Only two days later, the car was towed in Floriana after being parked on a double yellow line. Vella testified that Muka promptly paid the fine, but failed to return to the garage as agreed.
After news of the murder broke, Vella said he never saw Muka again. Police later came to collect belongings that had been left in the car.
In a detailed testimony, Inspector Josef Gerada outlined key developments in the investigation. He stated that on 21 August 2020, three days after the murders, police located the alleged getaway car near St Luke's Hospital in Pietà.
Through CCTV footage, the suspects were tracked walking on foot in the vicinity of the Junior College bus stop. Additional footage caught them entering a shop, where Viktor reportedly asked for the WiFi password. CCTV from the same shop showed the suspects boarding a Bolt vehicle, which was booked under the name of the second accused, Viktor Dragomanski.
Gerada explained that a search at Muka's residence yielded several items, including a necklace, two laptops, and four mobile phones. Based on further information obtained from Muka following his arrest, police were able to locate the Peugeot 107 he had last rented. It was found parked near the Westin Dragonara hotel.
The car's owner confirmed that it had been rented to Muka. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, police recovered a Volkswagen key, which matched a Volkswagen vehicle found earlier in Pietà.
As for Dragomanski's arrest, Gerada recalled that he attempted to flee through multiple balconies before being apprehended on the street.