Second man charged with Sliema double murder, identified through CCTV

A second suspect in the Sliema double murder has been remanded in custody this morning after police charged Viktor Dragomanski with killing Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski.

Inspector James Grech and Inspector Colin Sheldon arraigned the 36-year-old North Macedonian national, who resides in Sliema.

Dragomanski was charged before Magistrate Victor Axiak with the couple’s murder on 18 August, theft, extortion, possession of a weapon during the commission of the offences, handling stolen goods, stealing a vehicle and switching its number plates with other stolen ones.

Dragomanski was assisted by lawyer Joe Brincat as legal aid.

The accused, with red marks on his forehead, leaned on his knuckles on the desk in front of him as the court asked him the initial questions.

Asked what his occupation was, he replied, “I don’t work.”

He pleaded not guilty.

He is the second man to be charged with the murder after the police yesterday arraigned Daniel Muka, 25, an Albanian national who was out on bail for having been involved in a violent hold-up three years ago. Muka pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody.

READ ALSO: Sliema double murder, Muka pleads not guilty

CCTV footage and tip-off

Brincat said it was “only fair” that the police indicated why they had reasonable suspicion.

Inspector Grech said the police had CCTV footage of three people from the night of the murder.

The police further received information that one person in the picture was Dragomanski and were also told where he lived.

Grech explained that on 26 August in the evening, police proceeded to the address, where a person told them that accused was at a hotel in Gzira.

When police knocked at the hotel room door, he tried to escape through a window but was detained shortly after, said the inspector.

The court validated the arrest and issued a freezing order over all the man’s assets.

Brincat said it was obvious that the prosecution had to bring evidence for a prima facie case. “A very wrong impression has been given that the courts should be against the accused, we are not in the times of the inquisition,” Brincat said.

Bail was not requested, and the accused was remanded in custody.

Lawyer Roberta Bonello appeared parte civile for the Pandolfino and Maciejowski family.