Lassana murder: Pistols, 400 rounds of ammunition seized from Lorin Scicluna

The weapons and ammunition were exhibited in court on Wednesday

Weapons and 400 rounds of ammunition seized from the home of Lorin Scicluna were exhibited in court this afternoon as the compilation of evidence against two former AFM soldiers accused of the murder of Ivorian national Lassana Cisse Souleymane continued.

Francesco Fenech, 22 and Lorin Scicluna, 23 are pleading not guilty to charges relating to the murder, as well as the attempted murder of Ibrahim Bah and Mohammed Jallow.

Cisse was killed in a drive-by shooting on Triq il-Ġebel in Birzebbugia in 2019. Bah and Jallow were grievously injured in the shooting. 

Three pistols and an air rifle were exhibited together with eight boxes of ammunition by an officer from the police homicide squad, who carried the weapons into court in their relevant cases. 

A police sergeant removed the weapons from their containers and described them to the court.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia heard how the pistols, two Bernardelli models and a Beretta, were seized during a search at Scicluna’s home, together with eight boxes containing a total of 400 rounds of 9mm ammunition. 

After Scicluna was arrested, another weapon – an air rifle - was also found said the witness. He showed the air rifle, with a magnifier scope attached, some boxes of pellets and a silencer to the court. 

The sergeant explained that it had been seized on May 19, 2019, handing over the exhibits to the court for safekeeping.

Superintendent Keith Arnaud, prosecuting also formally exhibited a VW Golf, belonging to Fenech and which had been confiscated for forensic tests, to the court.

Other witnesses to testify on Wednesday included cardiothoracic surgeon Peter Paul Vassallo who examined Bah and Jallow five months after the shooting and had classified their injuries as grievous per durata as they had persisted for more than 30 days. Bah’s wound was still painful, Vassallo said.

Jallow was also complaining of pain as a result of the gunshot wounds he suffered. He had also complained of frequent headaches and told the doctor that he was wary of walking in the street as he “feared the family of one of the accused.”

Chadian May Malimi, who was hurt in a hit and run accident on the same road where the murder took place, two months prior, had suffered a fractured clavicle and was still in pain when medically examined seven months after the incident. 

The witness directed questions as to whether the injuries could result in a permanent weakness or disability, to the individual surgeons who had operated on the victims. 

The court put the case off to later this month.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Kris Busietta and Julian Farrugia are appearing for Scicluna.

Lawyers Stephen Tonna Lowell and Giannella de Marco are assisting Fenech.