Sliema double murder: Daniel Muka was wearing Pandolfino’s chain when arrested, court hears
Police inspector reconstructs how investigators tracked down the three men who murdered Christian Pandolfino and his partner Ivor Maciejowski during the compilation of evidence against one of the suspects, Daniel Muka
Daniel Muka was wearing a chain he allegedly stole from a man he had murdered when police arrested him in Floriana, a court heard on Thursday.
Muka, an Albanian national, stands accused of murdering Chris Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski at their Sliema house on 18 August. Another man, North Macedonian national Viktor Dragomanski, has been charged separately with the murder, while a third suspect, Jesper Kristiansen has been arrested in Spain and is awaiting extradition.
Police Inspector James Grech testified today on the investigation that led to the identification of the murder suspects and Muka’s eventual arrest in an abandoned Floriana apartment.
Grech said that Muka was wearing a chain similar to Pandolfino’s when he was arrested, a revelation that elicited disgust from the victim’s relatives who were sitting at the back of the courtroom.
Grech said the motive for the double murder so far was theft. He explained that pendants from gold chains that were around Pandolfino’s neck were found on the floor inside the victim’s house, leading investigators to believe that these chains were stolen.
Grech said Pandolfino was found dead near the entrance, wearing just his underwear, while the other victim was found upstairs.
Pandolfino was still wearing one of the gold necklaces, and several pendants were strewn on the floor.
Grech said that marks near the doorway indicated that the door to the residence was forced open. Reconstructing what might have happened, Grech said Muka rang the doorbell and when Pandolfino opened he tried closing back the door but was overwhelmed.
Once the three men were inside, Pandolfino was shot five times, while upstairs, Maciejowski was shot once in the head.
Grech said CCTV footage traced the getaway car all the way to the St Luke’s Hospital car park in Pieta.
Footage also captured the man waiting on a bus stop, with one of then entering a shop to ask for a Wifi password.
The three men then took a Bolt taxi that was traced to Kristiansen.
Pandolfino and Maciejowski were murdered in their house on Locker Street in Sliema.
According to CCTV footage, the killers entered the property at 10:19pm, just nine minutes after Pandolfino had entered his house.
The three men left the building at 10:23pm, spending a total of four minutes inside the residence.
The getaway car, a white VW Tiguan had stolen number plates on it and the police found Muka’s fingerprints on the car. “DNA on a blue shirt in the luggage boot matched both the victims’ and Muka’s,” Grech testified.
He added that Muka and the other man accused of the murder kept repeating to police that this was not their plan. “I don’t know… they just picked me up,” the inspector recounted to the court what Muka had told them.
The case continues.
Magistrate Nadine Lia is presiding. Inspectors James Grech and Colin Sheldon are prosecuting. Lawyers Noel Bianco and George Anthony Buttigieg are defence counsel. Lawyer Joe Giglio and Roberta Bonello are appearing as parte civile for the family of the victims.