Taxi driver murdered over €500,000 debt – prosecution

Taxi driver Mathew Zahra was murdered on the same day he was reported missing in August 2012, after accused Jason Galea could not repay him an unbelievable €500,000 he had amassed in usury debts for what was initially a €6,000 debt.

Galea also claimed he had bought the handgun - used to kill Zahra - from Zahra's father, sources told MaltaToday.

Flanked by two officers and another police officer sitting between them, Jason Galea, 39 of Birzebbugia and Ronald Urry, 49 of Paola, heard Inspector Chris Pullicino tell the court that last year Galea had denied his involvement in Zahra's disappearance.

However while investigating the double murder of Mario Camilleri and his son Mario in the past weeks, the police had interrogated Galea over the Zahra murder, to which he admitted.

The accused released a police statement giving details of how Zahra was killed and how his body was hidden after the murder. He explained to investigators that Zahra had lent him €6,000 but asked him for €500,000.

The accused also told police he could not sustain his repayments and found himself in huge debt. He started paying off only the interest over the amount due. His financial situation was so severe that the bank was on the verge of repossessing his residence, while Galea was unable to pay his employees.

Given the tight position he found himself in, Jason Galea approached Ronald Urry to assist him in eliminating Zahra.

When Urry was spoken to by the police, he corroborated the details Galea had given to the investigators. Urry also took the police investigators to the field in Qajjenza where Zahra was killed.

Dr Joe Giglio, appearing for Galea, asked police inspector Chris Pullicino if he had been aware of a previous investigation led by Inspector Melvin Camilleri over a necklace Zahra took from Galea in lieu of a lapsed payment. Pullicino replied that he was not aware of the case. Inspector Camilleri is expected to take the witness stand in future sittings. Sources told MaltaToday the value of the necklace was of about €25,000.

Inspector Pullicino recounted that victim Matthew Zahra had purchased property valued at €36,000 from Premier Cars Ltd. His father had pledged his garage as a guarantee over the loan. Jason Galea alleged that Zahra had made him sign the repayment vouchers owed to Premier Cars, as if the loan had been taken out on Galea's name. He also claimed that a certain Gaetano Fenech from Premier Cars used to chase him down over the repayments.

Pullicino said Fenech denied to police of having threatened Galea for the payments owed to him by Zahra, and that he only met Galea when he once purchased a Peugeot vehicle from his company.

Following Zahra's disappearance, Fenech agreed to repossess the properly sold to the taxi driver, cancelling all outstanding debt that Galea himself was paying back.

At the end of the first sitting in the compilation of evidence, Magistrate Edwina Grima held there was enough evidence to place Jason Galea and Ronald Urry under a bill of indictment.

The case of Mathew Zahra's murder was brought to light after the police found the remains of a leg, suspected to belong to Zahra, on the site where the bodies of Mario Camilleri and his son Mario were found, half buried, in a field at Qajjenza, Birzebbuga.

Galea and George Galea have bee charged with the murder of the Camilleris.

Pathologists are awaiting DNA confirmation that the foot found  belongs to Zahra.

Dr Joe Giglio is appearing for Jason Galea, Legal Procurator Mario Mifsud Bonnici is appearing for Ronald Urry, while Dr Stefano Filletti is appearing as parte civile for Zahra's family.