It was alleged jewel thief Daniel Muka who pulled the trigger and killed two men in a double murder in Sliema, a court heard on Wednesday.  

Macedonian bouncer Viktor Dragomanski, one of the men accused of killing Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski at their home on August 18, told police that he had been walking his dog when he was approached by two men in a car and asked if he wanted to take part in “a job”.

The two men were Muka, who has a history of armed robbery, and Danish national Jesper Kristiansen.

The job was a “poorly planned” robbery which resulted in the double murder. Dragomanski said his life had been ruined the minute he decided to participate in the "job". 

Giving testimony in court, homicide inspector James Grech detailed how upon his arrest, Dragomanski had given a lengthy statement that dragged on until the early hours of the morning.

Grech told the court, presided by magistrate Joe Mifsud, that Dragomanski had waived his right to have a lawyer present during the interrogation and immediately identified Muka as the shooter. 

Dragomanski told police during that interrogation, which ended at around 3am, that he had been approached on the day of the double shooting while he was out walking his dog.

Muka was in the front passenger seat of a white VW Tiguan - the car allegedly used in the double murder - being driven by Kristiansen, who is in Spain awaiting extradition to Malta. The two, who were his friends, asked Dragomanski to take part in "a job” to earn some money. 

After agreeing to participate, Dragomanski took his dog back home, got into the car and the three drove to the scene of the crime on Sliema’s Locker Street.

According to Dragomanski’s version of events - confirmed by CCTV footage later lifted by police - Kristiansen drove around the block of the murder scene a number of times before stopping in Locker Street.  

Dragomanski told police that when Muka got out of the car he was holding a pistol, which the accused urged him not to use gratuitously.  Muka and Kristiansen then headed for the house while Dragomanski stayed behind in the parked car. 

After shots were fired, Dragomanski said Kristiansen rushed out and called him into the house to help. There he saw the two dead bodies of Pandolfino and his partner Maciejowski.

Dragomanski said that shortly after entering the house, Muka said “the job” was over and the three left. Dragomanski told police he was “shocked" and had to be dragged out of the building by Muka.

They left the scene and proceeded to a Pieta' parking complex where Dragomanski says he helped Muka change the registration plates of the VW Tiguan.  

Earlier during the sitting, Inspector Grech detailed how police had used footage from several CCTV cameras, a public bus, an online cab-hailing service, and confidential tips to trace the three men from the murder scene.  

Grech said that at the murder scene, Pandolfino was found lying near the front entrance wearing only his underwear. He has been shot five times.   

Maciejowski was found dead with one shot on the second-floor landing.  

The two victims, Grech said, were known for the extensive jewellery they wore. It was evident, Grech said, that after killing the two men, the perpetrators had snatched necklaces from their necks as some of the jewellery was missing and a few pendants were found on the floor near the bodies. 

Grech said leverage marks were noticed on the door, suggesting that the perpetrators forced open the door at some point. However, Grech later said it was not clear whether they had first been let in by Pandolfino and later forced open the door when Dragomanski was brought in to help. 

Grech said that at the murder scene, bullet casings from a 9mm pistol were lifted. Muka was in possession of a 9mm Glock pistol at the time of his arrest. 

How police traced the suspects' movements

Grech said the court-appointed expert Martin Bajada had examined CCTV footage which confirmed that Pandolfino had returned home from a family meal at 10.10pm. The VW Tiguan was spotted in the area at 10.13pm. It drove around the block three times and then stopped at upper Locker Street, some 80 meters from house. 

At 10.19pm a tall man carrying a bag, wearing black trousers with white stripes, a baseball cap, and surgical mask was seen entering the house together with a "chubby male” believed to be Kristiansen.

Grech said CCTV footage also confirmed Dragomanski’s story that he had remained in the car and was later called in by Kristiansen. 

Grech also said that police had received information from Transport Malta’s licence plate recognition system, that the stolen plates used on the VW had earlier been spotted on a Peugeot in Gzira on the day of the murder. 

It was established that after the shooting incident, the white VW went through Tigne, towards Kappara, Sta Venera, Msida, and Pieta'. 

Patrols focused on the area around St Luke’s Hospital, where officers eventually located the VW in a parking area. it was found with another set of stolen plates. 

A forensics team was called on site.

Grech said that police found a black bag containing soap from the victims’ house and business cards belonging to a relative of Pandolfino. They also found a wig, two imitation machine guns, and other stolen licence plates.  

Grech said three men were then seen on camera walking down Guardanmangia Hill. 

Footage showed them stopping at a bus stop at 10.47pm. One of the cameras, from a pharmacy, showed a tall man walking downhill. 

This tall man was holding a beverage in his right hand, and had an elbow support on his left. Police were later informed by colleagues that two days earlier Muka had gone to Valletta police station to sign his bail book and was wearing an elbow support on his left arm.

The stature of the man caught on camera was also very similar to Muka, and Grech said he happened to know Muka from a previous case he had investigated - an armed robbery in 2017.

Grech said the police also lifted footage from a passing bus that showed the three subjects waiting on the bus stop together.  A still from the footage showed Muka’s face clearly. 

Another camera from a cafe' also showed one of the three persons, wearing a red top, entering the shop. An employee later told police that he had asked for the wifi password. 

Police later found that Kristiansen had used online ride hailing service Bolt to order a cab which took the three men to Sliema.  

Lawyer Joe Brincat appeared for the accused. Lawyer Joe Giglio appeared parte civile for the victims. The case was adjourned to September 25.