Samples lifted from the Toyota Starlet allegedly involved in the drive-by shooting of Ivorian migrant Lassana Cisse Souleymane last year are still to be tested for gunshot residue. 

Forensic experts testifying on Friday revealed this in the ongoing compilation of evidence against Francesco Fenech, 21, and Lorin Scicluna, 22, the two former soldiers pleading not guilty to what appears to be Malta’s first racially-motivated murder.

The duo are also charged with the attempted murder of two other migrants who suffered serious injuries as a result of the same drive-by shooting on that April 6 night in Triq tal-Ġebel, Birżebbuġa. 

Two police officers, tasked with taking photographs of the vehicle and lifting forensic evidence from it, presented their joint report under oath, describing how they had taken two sets of fingerprints and had extensively photographed the car, including its undercarriage. 

Yet, 11 stubs lifted from the seats and other parts of the vehicle were still under seal, waiting to be checked for any possible traces of gunshot residue, the reason being that such tests were not available locally, the court was informed.  

The outcome of such tests would indicate whether a weapon had been fired from the car, one of the experts explained. 

Stubs are small, sticky metal rods used by forensic experts to lift particles from a crime scene. 

A baseball bat found between the seats of the Toyota Starlet was handed over to DNA expert Marisa Cassar, who on Friday also handed in her report, confirming that no genetic profile could be construed from the swab taken from the bat.

Such a profile would have proved who had handled the bat, Cassar explained as she handed over the sealed exhibit into court custody. 

Another police officer, PS Clinton Vella, explained how he had travelled on a direct flight from Malta to Amsterdam on October 17, 2019, taking with him the Ceska Zbrojovka 9mm weapon and bullets allegedly involved in the shooting, to hand over to the Netherlands Forensic Institute.

Upon arrival, he had been escorted from the airport directly to the institute where he had entrusted the weapon to the ballistics expert appointed to carry out the testing. 

That expert, Petronella Pauw-Vugts had testified in February, reporting that the bullets matched the weapon handed to her by police officers. 

A Transport Malta official presented a CD of screenshots taken from the authority’s AMPR system which tracks vehicles, recording their registration number, at any particular date and time, by means of cameras placed at five locations around Malta. 

In this case, the vehicle tracked was the Toyota Starlet, with data spanning its movements between January 1 and May 31, 2019. 

The case continues in September. 

Magistrate Ian Farrugia is presiding. Inspector Kevin Pulis prosecuted. Lawyers Giannella DeMarco and Stephen Tonna Lowell are counsel to Fenech. Lawyers Franco Debono, Kris Busietta and Julian Farrugia are counsel to Scicluna. Lawyers Joe Giglio and Luke Frendo are appearing parte civile in a pro bono initiative.