A man facing homicide charges in connection with a double murder in Sliema earlier this month was identified by police thanks to CCTV footage from the area, a court heard on Friday.
Viktor Dragomanski, a 36-year-old who lives in Sliema, is the second suspect to be charged with the murders of Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski, who were shot dead inside their Sliema townhouse.
Dragomanski appeared in court on Friday morning and pleaded not guilty to murder, theft and a raft of other charges including possessing an unlicensed firearm and stealing a car and two sets of number plates.
Inspector James Grech of the police’s homicide squad told the court that Dragomanski was identified through CCTV footage as one of three people leaving the murder scene.
Police received information identifying Dragomanski as one of the people in the video on August 26 at 10pm, Grech told the court. Earlier that day, police had arrested their first suspect, Daniel Muka, following a raid in Floriana.
Muka was arraigned on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Sources say he has told investigators that he was not the brains behind the crime.
Investigators went to Dragomanski’s house on Triq il-Karmnu where they found another person. That led them to a hotel in Gżira where the suspect was hiding. When officers arrived there, Dragomanski tried to escape but was apprehended at around 11pm following a rooftop chase.
Dragomanski, who sources said worked as a nightclub bouncer but who told the court he was unemployed, did not request bail. He was remanded in police custody.
He was represented by legal aid lawyer Joe Brincat.
Pandolfino and Maciejowski were gunned down on a Tuesday night inside their home, in what police have said was a four-minute operation. Video footage from the scene showed three men walk into the house at 10.19pm and exit at 10.23pm.
A VW Tiguan van which police believe was used as the getaway vehicle was found some days later close to St Luke’s Hospital in Pietà.
Police have said that initial indications are that the murders were theft-related and said that gold jewellery owned by the victims was missing.