Hal Far shooting: Survivor unable to recognise accused

Mohammed Jallow, a migrant from Gambia, has given a court his version of the events which left his friend Lassana Cisse Souleymane dead and him with gunshot wounds.

Jallow was giving evidence against two soldiers charged with murdering the Ivorian migrant in what is believed to be Malta's first racially-motivated killing.

Francesco Fenech, 21, and Lorin Scicluna, 22, are denying charges of having murdered 42 year-old Lassana Cisse Souleymane in a drive-by shooting in Birżebbuġa on April 6.

The pair are also charged with the attempted murder of Jallow, 28, and another man, Ibrahim Bah, 27, who are both from Gambia.

Jallow, who was shot in the right buttock, testified this morning, telling magistrate Ian Farrugia how the shooting still affects him 3 months on, saying he was still having trouble urinating as a result of the gunshot wound. He did not recognise the accused in court today.

Jallow did not see who shot him, he said. He had only seen lights from an approaching car and heard the shots which he had mistaken for firecrackers.

He was unable to recall having previously given evidence from his hospital bed.