Murder victim’s father demands answers over missing necklace

The father of murder victim Matthew Zahra is demanding answers to how his son's gold necklace had gone missing during police investigations into his murder. The necklace, with an estimated value of €25,000, is said to have been worn by Zahra on the day he was murdered.

“What steps have been taken against the people responsible for the disappearance of this necklace?” Vincent Zahra told MaltaToday. “Was anyone punished for it? Was the necklace placed in a safe at the police depot?”

Jason Galea, 39, and Ronald Urry, 49, have been charged with the murder of taxi-driver Matthew Zahra in 2012. Both men were granted bail against a deposit of 30,000 and a personal guarantee of 30,000. Initially, the two accused failed to come up with enough money to pay the deposit, but in September - two months after being granted bail - Galea finally managed to make bail and was released from prison.

Urry, however, remains in prison.

During court proceedings, lawyer Stefano Filletti, representing Matthew Zahra’s father and partner in parte civile, requested that the court make the necklace available so that his clients could sell it and use the money to pay for their legal fees. However, Prosecuting Inspector Chris Pullicino told the court that the necklace had gone “missing or misplaced” during police investigations. 

Zahra was reported missing in August 2012. Initial investigations had yielded no results, but while digging for the remains of Mario Camilleri, known as l-Imniehru, and his 21-year-old son, Mario Camilleri Jnr, in a field in the limits of Birzebbuga in August 2013, investigators unearthed a bag of bones, purportedly Zahra’s. However, court experts have so far failed to confirm that the bones actually belong to Zahra.

Field owner Alfredo Attard told the court that as soon as Urry and Galea pulled Zahra’s body out of their car, Urry took the gold necklace from around the victim’s neck before placing the body inside the hole and covering it with soil. The police had then found the necklace when they found Ronald Urry.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, representing Matthew Zahra’s father and partner in parte civile on 21 July, requested that the court make the necklace available so that his clients could sell it and use the money to pay for their legal fees. However, Prosecuting Inspector Chris Pullicino told the court that the necklace had gone “missing or misplaced” during police investigations. 

On 15 October, Filletti requested the police to exhibit the report they had made regarding the necklace’s disappearance.

“If a policeman took the necklace, then that would be a scandal,” Vincent Zahra said.