Imniehru murders | Victims last seen with Farrugia ‘the gravedigger’

A police inspector testifying in the compilation of evidence against Jason Galea and George Galea, charged with the murders of Mario Camilleri ‘l-Imniehru’ and his son Mario, said the Camilleris were last seen in the company of Emmanuel Farrugia, known as ‘id-Deffien’ and Jason Galea, before being reported missing.

Fabian Fleri said that he was on duty on 18 July 2013, at around 8pm, when Emmanuel Farrugia was arrested and asked to take the police to the Birzebbugia field where he had dropped off Mario Camilleri junior.

The man took the officers to Triq l-Ghannejja, Birzebbugia. “At the end of a narrow road there was a gate, which was closed.... Farrugia insisted he had dropped the youth off there. From the gate I could see that the field led to a farm. We entered the field and just past the gate there was a mound of manure. Close by I saw a mound of freshly laid soil,” the inspector told the court.

When the officers dug up the soil, they found four fingers. Forensic officers were called and unearthed two corpses – that of Mario Camilleri and his son. The bodies were taken to the mortuary at Mater Dei Hospital. The field and the farm were cordoned off and investigations continued.

“The next morning, a foot was found. We suspected it belonged to Matthew Zahra, who had been reported missing a year earlier. I ordered the arrest of Alfredo Attard – the owner of the field. Initially he denied knowing who Jason Galea and Emmanuel Farrugia were, but later admitted he knew Jason.”

Attard told investigators that Jason Galea – brother-in-law to Mario Camilleri – had offered him €5,000 to bury two or three people in his field. On the day of the incident, the two accused men turned up at the field with a dead man in the back of their van. They laid him in a hole that Attard had dug. Moments later, Emmanuel Farrugia arrived with Mario Camilleri Jnr.

The police inspector said that the young Camilleri argued with Jason Galea, and George Galea shot at the youth but missed. Then the two Galeas attacked Camilleri, stabbed him and hit him with various objects, including a broken tile. His limp body was placed in a wheelbarrow and thrown in the hole, over his father’s corpse. The Galeas then instructed Attard to cover the hole and clean the vehicle.

Attard also told investigators that on 15 August 2013, a certain Ronald Urry, known as ‘tal-Lira’, had shot Matthew Zahra after having hid behind a prickly-pear tree waiting for Jason Galea to arrive with the victim. The body was placed in another pre-dug hole.

However, when Jason Galea later told him to bury the remains, Attard kept bones from his hand as a guarantee against Galea. The owner of the field identified Urry from police photos.

At the end of the sitting, defence lawyer Giannella de Marco brought to the attention of the court that a court application requesting bail for the accused was still pending.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona informed the defence that in the next sitting the court will hear submissions relating to the pending application.

The case continues on 18 June.