Two men jailed for 30 years

Two men were yesterday sentenced to 30 years each in prison for a callous and “pointless” murder 20 years ago for money that the victim supposedly carried around with him but which it turned out he didn’t have.

Carmelo Sant, 58, of Birkirkara had admitted to the murder of Nazzareno Ebejer, 66, on Monday but had to wait until yesterday for the trial by jury of George Pace, also 58, to draw to a close before judgment was handed down.

Mr Sant fired two shots at the victim as he stood cornered in a tiny room on a cliff edge at L-Aħrax in Mellieħa on April 8, 1989.

Mr Pace was found guilty of being an accomplice in the murder by seven votes to two.

Mr Pace, Mr Sant and a third man, Michael Vella, who has since died, hatched a plan to rob the victim of cash that they were given to believe he carried around with him.

The case remained cold for a long time until new information finally came to light in 2004. The police called for Mr Pace who then spilled the beans on the whole cover-up.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono said that in the case of Mr Sant, proceedings were carried out at a normal pace and did not take any more time than they should have.

However, Mr Sant did not show any signs that he was going to admit to the charges and in fact waited until the very last moment to place a guilty plea.

Because of this, he had gained little or nothing from pleading guilty in terms of getting a reduced punishment.

He had been left to enjoy life for 14 years before being found out and had even committed other crimes while mostly living as a free man, which included theft, attempting to corrupt a public official, threatening public officials, threatening prosecution witnesses and the corruption of a 14-year-old. He was jailed on two separate occasions in connection with these crimes, the judge said.

In Mr Pace’s case, the men who were supposed to be Mr Ebejer’s friends had betrayed his trust. They first used to spend time together in front of the old railway station in Birkirkara and then took him for what was supposed to be an outing to eat a ħobza in Armier where Mr Ebejer was killed.

After searching his body for money they left him there in a pool of blood.

Both men showed no reaction on being sentenced and there was little emotion from their relatives which usually characterises the end of a trial by jury.

Aaron Bugeja, from the Attorney General’s office, prosecuted. Lawyers Jose’ Herrera, Chris Cardona and Veronique Dalli appeared for Mr Pace while lawyer Joseph Giglio appeared for Mr Sant.