Police searching for main suspect in Hal Far murder

The Police are searching for a man aged between 28 and 30, believed to be the main suspect in the murder investigation of Ronald Galea, 65 of Birkirkara, shot dead yesterday in Half Far.

Galea, owner of Continental Meat Co Ltd, was found dead behind his factory on Monday afternoon. An eyewitness told the police that the killer repeatedly shot the victim and escaped from the scene in a silver Toyota Vitz.

It is believed that that the suspect, may have escaped abroad.

Addressing a crime conference, head of CID Pierre Calleja said the eyewitness was still being questioned by the Police.

"It has yet to be established whether the main suspect was wearing a hood or a balaclava," Calleja said, adding that the eyewitness witnessed the murder from a short distance.

The Police added that it was holding a person "in his thirties" of Maltese nationality under arrest assisting it with the investigation. The CID chief said the person under arrest also worked in the meat processing industry

Calleja said eight shots were fired from a short distance, although not all shots hit Galea. The victim suffered fatal hits at the heart and the lungs.

According to the Police, it is too early to establish whether the killer acted alone or on somebody's behalf.

However, he confirmed that the police were taking very seriously the possibility that the murderer owed money to the victim.

So far, neither the weapon nor the car have been found.