Judge testifies over threats, insults by double murderer Daniel Muka
Judge says double murderer disrupted trial and accused her of being ‘paid under the table’
A judge has testified in court over alleged insults and threats made against her by Daniel Muka, the man jailed for life for the double murder of Chris Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski.
Madam Justice Natasha Galea Sciberras testified before Magistrate Nadine Lia, telling the court that Muka had begun insulting her and disrupting proceedings following decisions she had taken in relation to his defence during his trial.
She said Muka made direct comments towards her, alleging she had been “paid under the table” to make certain decisions in his case.
Muka, who is from Albania, stood trial before Madam Justice Galea Sciberras in June last year over the murder of the couple on August 18, 2020. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case dates back to the first days of the trial, when Muka refused to attend court, claiming he had no lawyer and wanted to follow proceedings from the Corradino Correctional Facility.
The prison director, Chris Siegersma, testified during the trial that when Muka was informed he had to be in court, he threatened to be disruptive. Siegersma said Muka was eventually brought to court without any problems.
Muka later requested that the trial be postponed because lawyer Mario Mifsud, whom he had engaged to defend him, had only had three days to prepare his defence.
Mifsud told the court he had only been handed the case the previous Thursday and had therefore filed a constitutional case requesting that the trial be postponed.
The prosecution objected to the request, and Madam Justice Galea Sciberras ordered that the trial continue.
Mifsud subsequently renounced his brief and filed constitutional proceedings, arguing that Muka’s rights had been breached.
Muka continued to insist that he wanted Mifsud to defend him, saying he had a right to a lawyer of his choice.
However, Madam Justice Galea Sciberras ordered that he be assisted by legal aid lawyer Josette Sultana. Muka began shouting that he did not want her as his lawyer, at which point the court ordered that he be removed from the courtroom.
Police later filed charges against Muka over threats and insults allegedly directed at Madam Justice Galea Sciberras. He was charged by summons a few weeks ago before Magistrate Nadine Lia.
In a previous sitting, Deputy Registrar Joyce Agius also testified, saying that during the incident, she had been focused on reading documents related to the trial.
Under cross-examination, she confirmed that jurors, court marshals and several other people were present in the courtroom. However, she said that because she was reading the documents, she could not confirm to whom Muka’s comments were directed when he began shouting.
In connection with the same double murder, Jesper Kristiansen had reached a plea deal and was sentenced to 40 years in prison, while Viktor Dragomanski was cleared of murder but found guilty of aggravated theft during a homicide.
Inspector Keith Rizzo is prosecuting.
Lawyer Nicholas Mifsud is appearing for Muka.