A constitution of debt with Adrian Agius and two bills of exchange signed by More Supermarket owners were found locked in a drawer in one of the four offices used by murdered lawyer Carmel Chircop.

This emerged during the testimony of judge Michael Mallia and Vincent Ciliberti, both appointed as court experts by magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia in the murder inquiry.

A panel of jurors presiding the trial of four men on Saturday began hearing evidence in connection with the 2015 murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop in Birkirkara.

Brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, better known as Ta’ Maksar, along with associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio, are all facing different charges in connection with Chircop’s murder.

Adrian Agius is accused of commissioning the hit on the lawyer, which prosecutors allege was carried out with the complicity of his brother Robert, along with Vella and Degiorgio.

All four men deny the charges.

The trial by jury of the men entered its ninth day on Saturday, with the jurors hearing evidence in connection to Chircop’s murder, after hearing evidence gathered in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in the previous days. Vella and Robert Agius alone stand charged in the journalist’s murder and they are denying the charges.

Mallia explained that their role was to examine the files found at Chircop's office.

The lawyer had four offices: one shared with another lawyer where he practised in maritime law, an office on Republic Street where he kept files relating to client files and another two offices at home: one on the ground floor where he welcomed clients and one upstairs.

The court-appointed experts explained that in the office upstairs, they found a constitution of debt with Adrian Agius and two bills of exchange signed by More Supermarket owner Ryan Schembri and his wife, Angie, and Schembri's business partner, Etienne Cassar, and his wife. Chircop and his wife also signed the bills of exchange.

The bills of exchange and the constitution of debt were seized by the magistrate as part of the inquiry.

The bill of exchange is a promissory note or a written order to a person requiring them to make a specified payment, in this case €300,000 each, to the signatory or a named payee.

A constitution of debt is a formal contract where the debtor recognises their debt in favour of the creditor. It is drawn up before a notary and is published and filed in the public registry.

Mallia explained that he flagged these specific documents because of the amount involved and were locked away in a drawer in an office where Chircop did not see clients.

“I had heard about Ryan Schembri from the news at the time. Everyone knows he had fled,” Mallia said.

'I won't live in the villa'

As Mallia started reading from a report, Ciliberti chimed in that Chircop’s wife, reportedly told him “Whatever happens, over my dead body, I won’t live at the villa.”

When shown the bills of exchange, Mallia said these were flagged due to the amounts – each were of a value of €300,000 – and Ryan Schembri’s name.

During Saturday’s morning session, superintendent Sandra Zammit, who at the time of Chircop’s murder was an inspector at the Birkirkara Police Station, was among five police officers that took the stand.

The witness recalled that one of her subordinates informed her about the murder on October 8, 2015. She reported to the scene and found a man lying on the ground in a pool of blood with his upper body in the garage, and lower body outside.

The victim later identified as Chircop was certified dead on site.

As the police investigated, it emerged that Chircop was also involved in real estate. Before he was murdered, the man got into business with Adrian Agius on a Qormi warehouse.

According to Zammit, Agius had placed his Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq villa as collateral. More Supermarket owners were also involved, Zammit said, adding that she did not recall any names.

The business was not doing well, and Chircop requested to take over the villa. The police officer examined the call profile between Chircop and Agius, and found the latter did not answer recent calls made by the lawyer.

On the day of the murder, Agius’ mobile was making use of an Italian service provider suggesting that the man was apparently in Italy. Zammit explained that she was in contact with then police inspector Keith Arnaud, who told her that he suspected Agius was behind the murder. Agius was interrogated upon his return from Italy.

Zammit testified Agius said that they were evaluating whether Chircop takes over the villa since the business was not doing well and they had not yet reached a compromise. Agius categorically denied any involvement in the homicide. The officer was later transferred.

From the investigation, it transpired that Agius and Chircop “argued” a lot and communication deteriorated.

During cross-examination, the witness said she ordered the area to be cordoned off and for the media and civilians to be kept away from the crime scene. She also remembered that the victim’s sister had turned up and caused a scene since she wanted to go inside but was not allowed.

Defence lawyer Rene Darmanin pressed the witness on Jeffrey John Mallia, another individual with whom Chircop entered into business to. She insisted that there were “no issues” with Mallia and the man was cautioned since they had no idea what would come out of his interrogation.

Darmanin hinted at Chircop’s wife mentioning Mallia which Zammit denied. It was only later when she was being cross-examined by lawyer Noel Bianco, who asked about any police reports filed by Chircop that Zammit suddenly remembered she could have come across Mallia’s name there.

Lawyer Nicholas Mifsud, assisting Adrian Agius, asked whether Ryan Schembri and Etienne Cassar from More Supermarket were questioned. Zammit insisted that she was not the one to do so, and Schembri had fled the islands but could not recall the dates.

She was pressed on whether she was aware that on the contract Cassar and his wife were also guarantors. To which the witness replied: “I do not recall”.

She could neither recall the specifics of the contract between Agius and Chircop and whether it related to a constitution of debt. The witness said that “a lot of time had passed from the murder to now and could not recall exact details”.

Jamie Vella's Lawyer Amadeus Cachia asked whether the police investigated the several companies Chircop was involved in. The witness said this would have been done by an expert if so, adding that this was the first homicide she investigated.

On Saturday, a couple who lives opposite the garage complex recalled that on the day they heard a "bang" from the garage complex. They went on the balcony and found another neighbour. They asked each other if they heard anything, but did not see anything suspicious going on.

They returned inside until the first responders arrived, after a third party found Chircop's body.

The trial continues on Monday. 

Madam Justice Edwina Grima is presiding over the trial by jury.

Prosecutors Godwin Cini, Danika Vella and Anthony Vella are prosecuting on behalf of the AG Office.

Lawyer Nicholas Mifsud is assisting Adrian Agius.

Lawyers Ishmael Psaila and Amadeus Cachia are assiting Jamie Vella.

Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene Darmanin are assisting Robert Agius.

Lawyers Noel Bianco and Leslie Cuschieri are assisting George Degiorgio.

Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia is assisting the Caruana Galizia family.

Lawyer Vince Galea is assisting the Chircop family.