Beauty and brutality at Mellieħa

The brutality of a cold, calculated murder in a tiny cliff-edge room stood in stark contrast with the beauty of the spot overlooking Għadira Bay as jurors were led around the 20-year-old murder scene yesterday.

Accompanied by his defence lawyers, 58-year-old George Pace, also known as Il-Berqa, who stands accused of his involvement in the murder, walked around the rural area where Nazzareno Ebejer, 66, was shot in the head and chest on April 10, 1989.

Jurors were taken to L-Aħrax in Mellieħa early in the morning to get a better idea of how the murder took place after they had seen pictures taken by scene-of-crime officers two days after the murder.

Initially, three men were arrested and arraigned for the killing which remained a cold case until September 2004. One of the accused, Michael Vella also known as Il-Fish, has since died while Carmelo Sant also known as Ħarbat admitted to his involvement on Monday. Mr Pace decided to contest the charges.

On returning to the court room, Mr Pace took the witness stand and gave his version of what happened on that fateful day 20 years ago.

He gave testimony amid a barrage of questions from both the prosecution and Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, who struggled to hear what Mr Pace was mumbling.

Mr Pace said he used to work as a watchman at the old railway station in Birkirkara where he got to know Mr Ebejer, Mr Vella and Mr Sant. He would spend hours sitting on a bench talking to people.

One day he was approached by Mr Vella who asked him if he wanted to earn some quick cash by robbing Mr Ebejer, because they thought he had a lot of money and would carry a lot of it around with him.

He agreed but did not know that Mr Vella and Mr Sant were going to kill Mr Ebejer, he said.

On the day in question, April 8, they decided to go and have dinner and then proceed to the rural, isolated area to clean a hide.

However, on the way, Mr Sant asked Mr Pace to pass by his house to pick up his shotgun so that in the event he saw any turtle doves he would shoot them.

They parked in a wooded area which is usually used for camping and Mr Vella, Mr Sant and the victim walked along a path until they came to the room while Mr Pace turned the car around to face the road, he said.

By that time, the three men had already walked quite a way and as he followed down the path he heard a shot, quickly followed by another and he went running to find out what had happened.

"I saw Carmelo holding the shotgun and I walked inside the room and saw Żaren on the ground. I dropped to my knees and made the sign of the cross," Mr Pace said.

For three months after the murder, he was shaken and scared. Mr Vella would threaten him and every time he (Mr Pace) would tell him to leave him alone.

When new evidence came to light and the police called Mr Pace in for questioning, he at first denied his involvement but when he remembered that Mr Vella's legs had been amputated, and he was therefore no longer a threat to him, he decided to confess, he added.

The trial continues.

Lawyer from the Attorney General's Office Jason Grima also prosecuted.

Lawyers José Herrera, Chris Cardona and Veronique Dalli appeared for Mr Pace.