A family man just doing his job was slain with a single shot to the head because four men, blinded by their "get rich quick" scheme, wanted the money he was never carrying, a court heard yesterday.

Early one morning just over eight years ago, Alphonse Ferriggi, 42, was posting internal mail at the Bank of Valletta branch in San Ġwann, where he worked as a messenger, when four men jumped out of a car, shot him and left him for dead on the pavement.

"He was killed for just three bags of mail," prosecutor Aaron Bugeja said at the start of the trial by jury of Joseph Zammit, 52, of Floriana, who is pleading not guilty to killing Mr Ferriggi. He is also being charged with theft, carrying a gun without a licence, stealing a car and causing damage to the bank.

The prosecution explained that the well-managed plot to steal what the robbers thought to be money began a day before the incident, which occurred on September 17, 2000, when Allesandro Loporto got out of his VW Golf to buy a packet of cigarettes in Sliema - leaving the keys in the ignition. A few minutes later he turned around and the car was gone.

This was one of the two vehicles used in the hold-up, the second being a red Mazda 121 distinguishable by its bubble-like shape. Having first left the Golf in a deserted spot in San Ġwann near some fields, the robbers drove to it in the Mazda, carried out the hold-up in the Golf and returned to the Mazda, disappearing from there, Dr Bugeja said.

The camera mounted in the bank's cash machine caught the fatal moment when Mr Ferriggi was just about to deposit three mail bags in the two-way aluminium mail box. In less than five seconds he was dead.

"They went there with just one thought in mind: to take the money and get rich quick," Dr Bugeja said.

He claimed four people were involved in the callous murder, all with particular nicknames: The accused, also known as ta' Żeppi li Redgħu; Richard Grech a.k.a.

Iz-Zinanna; James Vella, known as Il-Frejżer and Chris Scerri whose nickname was Gazzetti or Buttuni.

Mr Grech is currently awaiting trial by jury while Mr Vella and Mr Scerri have not yet been arraigned.

Of four police statements taken over a year and a half after the incident, Mr Zammit admitted his involvement only when he made the third statement, the court heard.

In it, he gave details of how he was approached by Mr Grech who asked if he wanted to carry out a job for him.

According to the statement, Mr Grech told him that twice a week a man delivered bags to the bank at 5 a.m. and he illustrated a plan to rob the branch.

Mr Zammit at first declined. Just a few days before the incident, they asked him again and he gave in to the pressure, accepting to drive the getaway car.

He said he was told to wait in the Mazda until the three of them returned in the Golf from the hold-up but shortly after they left, he fled the scene because he was scared, only to find out what had happened through the news some two hours later.

Police Inspector Chris Pullicino explained how investigations led police to the men, whom they interrogated. He said he had been approached by a man who claimed to have information about the hold-up and who directed him to another man, Ninu Frendo.

Mr Frendo told the officer that the four men the police were after used to meet regularly and he knew where.

Mr Frendo also told the inspector that he had walked up to the accused and asked him what he had done. But before he could ask him any further questions, the accused exclaimed that he was near the fields in San Ġwann at the time and shed a tear. Mr Frendo thought this was suspicious reply.

A former police officer, Mario Saliba, said that at the time of the shooting he had set off for work and was walking up to his car. On hearing a loud bang he at first thought it was a gas explosion but then realised it was a gun shot.

He then saw a black car screeching away at high speed, doing a U-turn right in front of the bank and driving off towards Naxxar. As he lived just 200 metres down the road he had a clear view of the street and bank.

Another policeman, Chris Mangion, who lives 300 metres down the same road, recounted that after hearing the initial bang he rushed downstairs and when Mr Saliba told him it was a shooting he grabbed his first aid kit and ran to the bank.

"The victim was beyond first aid, he had part of his face blown off," Mr Mangion said. He tried to help but it was clear that it was a very serious case.

He also confirmed that he heard the car speed away towards Naxxar.

The case continues.

Lawyer Aaron Bugeja from the Attorny General's Office prosecuted assisted by Nadine Sant, Maurizio Cordina and Jason Grima.

Lawyers David and Stephen Farrugia Sacco and Jose' Herrera appeared for Mr Zammit.