Marsa gangland vendetta | Police searching for two suspects

A known criminal suspect was shot dead outside the Enemalta customer care office in Marsa, at Belt il-Hazna, at around 11am.

The victim is Paul Degabriele, 49, from Fgura, known as 'is-suldat', who back in December 2012 was arrested in connection with the murder of two criminal suspects in Mosta.

Degabriele was in his Toyota Hilux when he was shot by his assailant, who appears to have shot at him from a white van, with licence plates IBJ 352. Initial CCTV footage from the area so far has not confirmed whether Degabriele was shot in a drive-by shooting, or whether his assailant emerged from the car and shot him dead.

The police are now searching for a white male, approximately 5 foot 8 inches tall, of medium to well build.

Witnesses saw a person with bloodstains on his clothes walking away from the scene. Another man is believed to have accompanied the shooter to the site, police said. The white van, identified as the vehicle the assailants used, was later found burnt in Hamrun.

Four bullet casings were found on the scene of the crime, confirming that it was not one shot that was fired at Degabriele.

MaltaToday was told by police sources that Degabriele had been unaccompanied by his bodyguard, a man whose identity is known to this newspaper and also to police circles. "Acquaintances of Degabriele claim that it was strange that he was not accompanied by his guardian angel, who apparently met him every day at 6am."

An eyewitness standing next to the scene of the crime was taken for questioning by police. He had earlier objected to being filmed by a One News cameraman. Unconfirmed reports say the eyewitness was also being treated as a possible accomplice in the murder.

Police told MaltaToday the suspect behind the murder could have also been involved in a corresponding car bomb attempt, as part of a gangland vendetta.

There was traffic chaos in Marsa soon after the shooting.

Degabriele was investigated over the 2012 murder of Joseph Cutajar, 46, known as il-Lion - shot dead as he emerged from his car in Mill Street in Mosta - and Josef Grech, known as il-YoYo, found dead in Bahar ic-Caghaq.

Well-known to the police, Degabriele's van had been the target of a parcel bomb in Fgura in October 2012. However, the intervention of the Armed Forces of Malta Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit had successfully defused the bomb which contained around 1kg of explosives. The van had been parked just two corners away from the Fgura primary school.

Earlier this week, Degabriele's son Jean-Claude Mercieca was imprisoned for 12 months for the assault of a police officer. Officers told the court that in resisting arrest, Mercieca was threatening police officers that his father 'Pawlu is-suldat' would get back at them.