Men charged with killing Eleanor Mangion Walker charged with thefts, breaching bail

The two men accused in the Eleanor Mangion Walker murder case have been charged with committing a number of thefts whilst on bail.

Andrew Mangion and Kristijan Zekic -who also goes by the name of Adamjohn Niyazov – had been on bail for the murder and concealing of the body, respectively, of Mangion Walker.

Mangion Walker was found dead of blunt trauma injuries in a Qormi warehouse in July 2016 by police officers acting on a tip off, which they received from the accused's uncle, Grezzju Micallef. 

Mangion had turned himself in to the police a few days after the murder and stands charged with killing the mother of his young daughter. Zekic is charged with helping him to hide her body.

They were subsequently linked and charged with a violent robbery of an Armier boathouse which had preceded the murder.

The pair appeared before magistrate Astrid May Grima in separate arraignments this afternoon.  

Mangion, 42, of San Gwann, was accused of aggravated theft from a St Julian’s apartment on 13 September and another aggravated theft from an apartment in Sliema on 27 September.

He was also charged with breaching two sets of bail conditions, secured by a total bond of €76,000. He pleaded not guilty.

Lawyer Alfred Abela was allowed to approach the magistrate, where he and the prosecution discussed the case out of earshot of the press. He then confirmed that bail would not be requested.

Zekic, 36, a chef living in Qawra, was charged with the 13 September theft, another theft on 17 December 2015, assaulting a police inspector and two officers on 3 October this year and failing to observe no less than 4 different sets of bail conditions.

Zekic claimed to have sustained injuries, including to his face, and is now unable to hear. The inspector however said the man had no visible injuries, which had also been confirmed by a doctor yesterday. The court appointed forensic expert Mario Scerri, a doctor, to establish the veracity of the claim.

He refused to confirm his name, place and date of birth in court, today.

Zekic’s lawyer, Maria Margo Zammit Fiorentino, entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. Bail was not requested.

Inspectors Fabian Fleri and Leeroy Balzan Engerer are prosecuting. 

Lawyer Alfred Abela was counsel to Mangion. Lawyer Maria Margo Zammit Fiorentino appeared for Zekic.