Updated | Murder victim Raymond Caruana was accused in judge’s bribery

Police are investigating a murder which took place in San Blas, last night. The authorities were informed of a shooting in the San Blas area, between Siggiewi and Zebbug  at around 9:30pm.

The victim, 54-year-old Raymond Caruana, had been involved in the allegations of bribery of Judge Ray Pace, two years ago.

Caruana, and Sandro Psaila, a 43-year-old restaurateur of Valletta, were charged with bribing the judge in an attempt to ensure that convicted trafficker Darrin Desira receives a long prison term on appeal.

First on the scene were officers from the police Rapid Interention Unit, who found Caruana’s body a few metres away from a Jeep. The bullet-ridden Jeep’s lights and wipers were still on.

This was the second murder of 2015.

Deputy Police Commissioner  Pierre Calleja, Assistant Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta and Inspector Keith Arnaud from the Homicide Squad arrived on the scene together with Inspectors James Grech and Michael Mallia.

It is thought that the murderer had been hiding in a narrow alley opposite the entrance of the farmhouse where Caruana had been staying together with a female companion at the time of the shooting, emerging from his hiding place to shoot at the car as Caruana arrived.

Reports say that at least 33 rounds, thought to be from an assault rifle, had been fired at the vehicle. Police have recovered a number of spent cartridge cases from the scene.

It is thought that a female companion called the emergency services.

Duty Magistrate Gabriella Vella was informed and has appointed several forensic experts to assist in the inquiry.

Caruana, a truck driver, had been out on bail but on 20 February, 2015, he was issued with an attachment order on his monies held in two bank accounts. He was the director of one company, Dram Properties, whose registered shareholder is Dram Properties Limited of British Virgin Islands.