Sliema homicide victims Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski owned at least €119,000 in jewellery, most of which was found on the body of one of the men, a court was told on Friday.
Three items, included in this valuation, were retrieved from Albanian national Daniel Muka, one of the three men suspected to have murdered Pandolfino and Maciejowski at their home on Locker Street on August 18 of last year.
The valuation was presented to court when the compilation of evidence proceedings against Viktor Dragomanski, a 36-year old Macedonian bouncer and 30-year old Danish national Jesper Kristiansen reached an advanced stage this week, almost one year to date from the double murder.
Jeweller Francesco Zampa was appointed court expert to value various gold items found at the crime scene as well as others found a week later in possession of the third murder suspect, 25-year-old, Muka who was the first to be arrested over his alleged role in the double murder.
Necklace, pendant, ring found in suspect's possession
All three suspects are pleading not guilty in separate proceedings over the fatal double shooting which investigators believe is the result of a “poorly planned” robbery.
Zampa presented a report whereby the total valuation of all gold jewellery, most of which was found on the dead body of Pandolfino, stood at €119,228.
That value had dipped to €106,000 by the time the items were actually handed over to the expert, the court was told.
A gold necklace, a pendant and a ring, subsequently found by police in Muka’s possession, were also included in the valuation that was based on the price of gold as at August 18, 2020.
Kristiansen drove car, Dragomanski waited outside
A former colleague of one of the accused, Lassie Jakobson, testified that he had been living on and off in Malta for the past ten years.
He had worked with Kristiansen at a local gaming company and had handed over his contact details to police who turned up at his residence last August.
Kristiansen had caught a flight out of Malta on August 28 but was subsequently tracked down in Cadiz and returned to Malta on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant to face charges over his alleged involvement in the crime.
Dragomanski, the second suspect arrested, told police how the other two suspects had roped him in for “a job” and how the trio had gone to the crime scene in a white VW Tiguan driven by Kristiansen.
While his two friends entered the house on Locker Street, Dragomanski waited outside in the car until shots rang out from the direction of the house and Kristiansen rushed out, telling Dragomanski that help was needed inside.
That was when Dragomanski entered the premises where he came across the dead bodies of Pandolfino and Maciejowski.
The three suspects allegedly fled from the crime scene in the VW Tiguan, with stolen number plates, that was later found abandoned at the St Luke’s Hospital car park.
Footage gathered by investigators from various sites had enabled them to reconstruct the escape route taken by the murder suspects, all the way from Locker Street to Pieta’.
Suspects rode cab to Sliema
After parking the getaway vehicle, the trio had walked down Gwardamangia Hill, stopping at an Msida bus stop. One of the men had entered a cafeteria to ask for the WIFI password.
During this week’s sitting, superintendent James Grech exhibited documents and correspondence concerning police inquiries with Revolut about a payment allegedly made by Kristiansen.
On that night he had allegedly used the online ride-hailing service Bolt to order a cab which eventually drove the three suspects to Sliema.
The cases continue.
Magistrate Joe Mifsud presided over the case.
Superintendent James Grech and Inspector Colin Sheldon prosecuted.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb are counsel to Dragomanski.
Lawyer Stefano Filletti is counsel to Kristiansen.Lawyer Joe Giglio appears parte civile.