Maksar gang trial: 'You don't say no to the Maksar brothers,' Koħħu tells court

That wraps up today's session

The court is informed that foreign experts are expected to testify during tomorrow's sitting. 

Thank you for following, and we'll have a full article rounding up today's sitting shortly.

Muscat admits he is not 100% of what he was told by other hitmen

Muscat claims that he does not remember constantly telling Arnaud that he would only speak if he is granted a pardon. According to the defence, Muscat was not truly disappointed about the murders but just wanted a pardon.

The witness confirms that he knew the Maksar brothers for over 30 years but didn't frequently hang out with them. Defence lawyer Amadeus Cachia, questions him again on the fact that he had a reputation, being known as “Il-King”. The witness says this is a lie.

The defence asks: “Why did you clean your car after being informed of a raid at the potato shed?” 

"I never denied my involvement in the case. I cleaned the car to remove empty bottles and other garbage." 

The witness says he never spoke to Melvin Theuma regarding the murder of Caruana Galizia. “Then why did you tell Arnaud that Theuma didn't stop chasing you?” Muscat cannot remember.

"For these four days you’ve been testifying, you have told us only what you have heard or what others told you. What guarantee do you have that you heard incorrectly or the others were lying?" the defence asks. "I don’t have a guarantee. I am quoting what I was told, he admits."

Vince Muscat admits to sending his daughter to Castille to ask for pardon

Muscat admits to sending his relatives to speak to former prime minister Joseph Muscat to ask for a pardon. His daughter was insisting that her father is granted a pardon.

The incident dates back to 2018 and was revealed by the former Prime Minister two years later after he had resigned. You can read more about that here.

Vince Muscat cannot remember whether he turned down €1 million reward

Cachia asks Muscat if he knew certain individuals who were also known to the police and Muscat chooses not to answer the question.

Going back to the €1 million reward mentioned earlier, Cachia asks, "So what did you reply when Azzopardi informed you of this €1 million reward you could have received? Did you turn down this offer?"

"I do not remember," Koħħu says.

Muscat irritated by defence's question

"Are you known to the police?" lawyer Amadeus Cachia asks. Muscat says that he is as the court hears that Muscat previously worked as a carpenter and is registered by law.

Cachia attempted to question Muscat on his ongoing cases but Madam Justice Grima told him not to ask questions on irrelevant cases to the ongoing jury and reminded the witness of his right not to incriminate himself.

“How did you support your family?” Cachia asks. The witness is irritated by this question and says it is not fair that his family is mentioned. He chooses not to answer, admitting to being involved in gambling activities and used to be an addict and used to frequent the casino many times.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi tried to take €1 million reward for information on Caruana Galizia murder on behalf of Muscat

The court is reminded that former prime minister Joseph Muscat had offered a €1 million reward to whoever brought forward information regarding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Vince Muscat says that his lawyer had applied for this reward, but this was not accepted. His lawyer at the time was Arthur Azzopardi. Muscat says that he was not aware of this but found out later.

The entry has been edited as it was previously understood that Arthur Azzopardi tried to claim the reward for himself. Azzopardi tried to claim it for his client Vince Muscat.

Vince Muscat details route taken to kill Chircop

Muscat describes the Chircop murder plan, pointing to the road where they would pass en route to the Birkirkara garage. The defence lawyer tells him that during the inquiry, he did not mention this. Muscat says he does not remember. He insists that he still remembers the route to this day but cannot remember who drafted it on the map. 

At this point, the jurors are shown the map created by the killers showing the route they took to reach the garage complex where lawyer Chircop was killed. The witness began to explain which roads they passed through. First, the Maltapost post office was shown, then they went up near HSBC, and then took a right. Then, they passed near a school and kept going.

From the plan, shown on the courtroom television, he said he could not remember exactly certain roads and if they had passed through them. He could not make certain roads out properly. He also remembered passing near the Birkirkara Infetti sports ground. Then the witness stated that he could not really understand the plan and he was not recognising certain roads.

When pressed on time discrepancies in Chircop murder, Muscat says he didn't wear a watch that day

The cross-examination by lawyer Noel Bianco resumes. He quotes what the witness had told a magistrate after being granted the pardon, when Keith Arnaud had asked him and he said twice that he was driving, but shortly after corrected himself and said he was a passenger in the Chircop murder case.

The defence argues that it was only later, in February 2021, that he started naming certain individuals. Muscat said that he always followed the questions as asked by Arnaud. He claims that to have a chance at receiving a pardon, it was suggested to him that he should mention names.

The witness is asked why on several occasions he changed his version of what time they went to kill Chircop. Before being granted the pardon, he used to say between 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and later started saying between 5:00am. and 5:30am.

The defence lawyer tells him, “you changed the version and shifted everything back by an hour because someone suggested it”. Muscat explains that it didn’t make sense for them to have left at 6:00am, since the lawyer usually went to the garage around 7:00am. The witness strongly denies this.

When questioned on the contradiction by lawyer Noel Bianco, Muscat says he didn’t have a watch that day.

The cross-examination will resume shortly as jurors enter the courtroom.

The sitting has been suspended for a short break. It will continue at around 3:00pm.

Defence sceptical on Muscat's role in Chircop murder

"How come you weren't driving on the day if you were just sitting at the back doing nothing?" the defence asks with regards to the Chricop murder.

"I don't think they wanted me to drive with one arm. It wasn't my car we were using, it's different when you drive someone else’s car," Muscat responds.

"You were capable of carrying a bomb but you were not capable of driving?" the lawyer yelled angrily.

'We helped each other in times of difficulty'

Vince Muscat states George Degorgio told him that he would not be taking any money for the murder of Carmel Chircop, Muscat at the time assumed he would be paid in a different manner. 

In his previous testimony, it was heard that George Degorgio was interested in a boat called ‘Maya’ and had called Agius to give him €30,000 for it. He had called him in Muscat’s presence and Muscat had assumed that that was his payment for his involvement in the murder. 

"Did George Degorgio ever give you money when you had debts?" Bianco asks. "Yes. We helped each other in times of difficulty."

'I don't have the guts to shoot'

The defence is once again pressing Muscat on the fact that he had explained that there were two weapons, a pistol in the console of the car and a revolver in Jamie’s possession for the Carmel Chircop job. But now, he is insisting that an AK-47 was in the car under the seat. 

"Why back in the day during the magisterial inquiry, did you not mention this AK-47 machine gun placed under the seat near your feet?", he asks. "Your memory was supposedly much better five years ago”.

The defence asks Muscat whether he missed two shots fired two metres away from Chircop due to a disability he had briefed the court about.

“I don't have the guts to shoot,” Muscat explains. "Did you ever shoot at anyone else?" No, he says.

"Not even at the HSBC bank, you didn't shoot?", the lawyer yells, although Muscat keeps denying this.

Lawyer Bianco continues: "In the acts of the inquiry, you had said that he used to go and follow Chircop out of your own initiative." Muscat clarifies, "I used to go because they put me up to it. I wasn’t the one who wanted to get rid of Chircop,  I didn’t have any problem with Chircop, they did."

Vince Muscat has trouble understanding defence's questions

"In 2017, were you the leader of the others? Did you give orders?" defence lawyer Noel Bianco asks. "No, the Degorgio brothers gave the orders and not myself. When he was released from prison, the key was not in everyone’s possession anymore but only Alfred Degorgio had access to a key for the potato shed."

When further pressed, Muscat denies saying that he wanted to "explode" Caruana Galizia, even if others would be harmed. He reaffirmed that George Degorgio said these words, and had told them to go on with the plan even if her children were with her. Alfred Degorgio had agreed with this, he continues.

"Is it true you had gotten hold of some potassium from a person named Salvu?" the defence asks. "No. I don’t know what he’s on about” he replies. 

"Is it true that in 2014, you were a victim of a shooting? Did they shoot at you because you controlled everything in Marsa?" Muscat denies this as well.

He also denies trying to open Caruana Galizia’s car. 

The witness is constantly replying to the defence's questions with, “What is he saying?”, “I don’t understand him,” as Madam Justice Grima has to constantly rephrase and reask the questions.

The sitting continues.

The jurors are now making their way to the courtroom.

Jurors head for a short break

“You were sure in your statements in 2021, why are you not sure now? Your version of today does not corroborate your version in 2022”, the defence presses.

The sitting is now suspended for a short break and will continue at around 11:30am.

Defence wants details of stakeouts

The defence is questioning the witness on details of the stakeouts such as where the car was parked, where Chircop was facing, and which part of the hill they were stationed.

"I was always looking at him", he says. But he did not remember if there were any other people or if Chircop looked at their direction. "So you were always looking at him but you remember nothing," the defence tells him.

"You don't say no to the Maksar brothers"

The defence keeps asking the witness of his role in the murder and why it deserved €20,000. "You have denied any involvement in all decisions. Then why were you even there?"

“You cannot say no to the Maksar brothers,” Muscat responds. Even if they had offered less money, he couldn’t say no to them, he says. "If I had said no, they would have done something bad. I joined the operation out of fear."

Muscat pressed on inconsistent version of events

The defence continues to press the witness and asks him about various conflicting statements he made and read out several of his previous statements.

On a particular instance, Muscat had seen Chircop going out of his residence, followed him, and saw him going up the hill near the Birkirkara McDonald's establishment. On another two instances, he specifically remembers going to pick up Adrian Agius. They went from Birgu to Naxxar, to follow Chircop’s movements, and to do so, they were using Aguis’ car, he says.

However, as lawyer Mifsud pointed out, in a previous statement of his, he had said that they used his own personal vehicle and not Agius’. He does not remember, he constantly says. Mifsud reminded the witness of his continuous inconsistent statements.

“That’s how much Carmel Chircop’s life was worth”

The witness is questioned by lawyer Nicholas Mifsud, representing Adrian Aguis, solely on the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop. 

It had emerged from the investigations that Lawyer Chircop had lent some money to the owners of MORE Supermarket, where one of the directors was Adrian Agius. Chircop’s wife confirmed the debt and revealed that Adrian Agius had even offered a villa as part of a repayment agreement which, however, never materialised.

He questions the witness on the villa linked to Chircop. Muscat confirms he went to this villa. He asks him why after all this time, and after many depositions given by him, this fact has just emerged now. 

"Did you ask about your role? What you needed to do? Would someone pay €20,000 for fun? They gave you that much money to go on a ride in the backseat of the car?" Lawyer Mifsud seems confused as to his role in the murder which netted Muscat €20,000.

“That’s how much Carmel Chircop’s life was worth”, Muscat says.

Convicted hitman Vince Muscat has just entered the courtroom to continue his cross-examination.

Good morning. 

Our court reporter Maya Galea is in the courtroom as jurors head to their seats.