LIVE | Maksar gang trial continues

Session suspended

The court is suspending the session for a two-hour lunch break. We will continue with our live reporting at 3pm. 

Rigorous procedures

A police official is showing the jurors photos of the entry into the potato shed as well as the interiors. A kitchenette and gym equipment can be seen in some of the photos.

The police are being detailed in their explanation of the forensic methodology used. For example, the police official has just mentioned that they first focus on DNA collection to avoid contaminating the crime scene. The same caution is exercised when collecting fingerprints, which is always collected after taking DNA samples. 

“You might have a piece of evidence from which it is possible to collect two types of evidence. Take a mobile phone for example--there could be saliva near the microphone, sweat near the speaker, and fingerprints on the screen and back. In such a case, you have to decide which evidence is most important and most reliable.”

The raid at the Marsa potato shed

Three more police officials are testifying. These officials carried out searches at various places of interest, including the potato shed in Marsa. Alfred Degiorgio, Vincent Muscat and George Degiorgio were on the site of the crime and arrested.

The official is describing the day that police raided the potato shed. The raid happened around a month after Caruana Galizia’s murder.

Among the pieces of evidence seized was a burnt mobile phone was found near the shed in a pile of debris.

Bomb residue

The Dutch forensics institute had asked the police to collect samples from the crime scene to check for any residue from the explosion. Samples were collected from a nearby field and from a lamp post across the road from the initial explosion.

The samples were taken to the Netherlands by police officials. At no point in the delivery were the samples passed on to a third party. Even when they arrived in the Netherlands, the police officials were taken through a VIP area as an added security measure. It was only when they arrived at the institute themselves did the police pass on the samples to the investigators.

The trigger mobile

The report, written by the NFI, contained an analysis of the mobile phone that was used to trigger the explosion. The inspector is showing the jurors photos of the evidence bag.

The next witnesses are a police sergeant and warrant officer.

Forensic help from the Netherlands

The same constable will continue testifying but with an inspector. More documents are being shared with jurors and lawyers.  

The inspector describes having received a package from the Netherlands Forensic Institute. The police went to this institute for help with the forensic investigations on the trigger mobile.  

The package contained a sealed envelope with the institute's report and an evidence bag. Everything was opened in the presence of a court-appointed expert and the inquiring magistrate.

Comparing the rental car

The constable is testifying about a report he drafted. This report consists of details about the original make of the car gathered from the company it was being hired from. Caruana Galizia had been renting the car at the time of the explosion.

By analysing a similar make of car, police officers were able to understand which pieces of evidence were part of the original make, and which parts might have been part of the explosive. Photos of the car are being shown to jurors but are not visible from the balcony.

Court's back in session

The session is starting again, with the first police constable from earlier testifying for a second time today.

A short break

Jurors are being given a short break. We will be back with our reporting at around 11:30am.

Metal scraps

Photos of metal scraps are being shown to the jury. These scraps were found among the evidence and considered particularly relevant for further analysis by the court expert.

After showing the jury all the relevant photos, they step away from the witness stand. Their testimony is over.

Next witnesses

The police are ready with their testimony. Next up is another dual testimony, this time from a police sergeant and constable. Documents are again being shared around with relevant evidence for the testimony.

These officials were tasked with reopening the evidence from the crime scene and from Caruana Galizia’s vehicle so that they can be analysed with the court-appointed expert. This happened in November 2017.

‘Sharpeners’ for maximum damage

The police official explains that ‘sharpeners’ were used to ensure that the bomb would cause maximum damage. These sharpeners will be explained later in the hearing.

After days of work on the wreckage, the experts were eventually able to find the exact location of the explosion.

Bomb placed under driver's seat

The testimony is getting technical. The prosecution is asking them to explain how the items seized were categorised.

More photos of the car damage are being shown. Soot-covered metal, gaping holes and other signs of severe damage are clearly visible in the photos. The court-appointed expert on the case had indicated to prosecutors that the bomb appeared to have been placed beneath the driver's seat.

Car damage

The police official is describing the search on the car that Caruana Galizia was driving at the time of her murder. The car was placed in a garage after the police went on site and seized certain items. Members of the AFM helped search and dispose of any explosives. 

Photos of the car are being shown to the jury. The first set of photos is of the front door of the garage where the car was kept. It was locked and sealed by the police as a precaution. The next photos show the car covered in plastic, but clearly damaged. 

Jurors enter the courtroom

Two police constables will be testifying together at the witness stand. Documents are being passed to the jurors, defence team, parte civile and prosecution. 

The session starts

The session is starting without the jurors present. The first witness is the CEO of the Correctional Services Agency. Most of his testimony cannot be published on the order of Judge Edwina Grima, who is presiding over the jury.

Good morning and welcome to the fourth day of proceedings in the jury trial of ̌Robert and Adrian Agius, known as the ‘Ta’ Maksar’ brothers, along with Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio. All four are accused of the voluntary homicide of lawyer Carmel Chircop, and either direct involvement or complicity in the car bomb explosion that killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. All except Adrian Agius are also accused of unlawful possession of explosives and firearms.

Today's sitting was scheduled to start at 9am, but it seems that there are some technical issues preventing them from starting on time.