Adds statement by Anglu Xuereb:
Claire Zammit Xuereb, whose husband was one of the victims of the New Year's Day double homicide, was interviewed for more than three hours by the police yesterday, her father, entrepreneur Anglu Xuereb revealed today.
"I know my daughter, she and her husband were deeply in love and they loved the twins. There is only one truth. She has never changed her version of events. Yesterday she was interrogated for three-and-a-half hours by the police and she never changed her story," Mr Xuereb said on TVAM.
Mr Xuereb strongly denied claims in l-orizzont that he arrived at the scene of the crime before the police. The newspaper asked in its main story this morning whether the scene of the crime had been tampered with.
Mr Xuereb, who sounded angry, said he did not wish to comment or in any way interfere with police investigations but he could not remain silent when faced with such 'blatant lies' and speculation in sections of the media which were causing even more undue misery on the families.
He also insisted that a plan of the apartment produced by the newspaper, as well as its version of events, were wrong.
Mr Xuereb said his daughter, naturally, had phoned him after the stabbings and he rushed down to Sliema, but by the time he arrived, after 20 minutes, the police were already there and the ambulance crews had already come and gone, since they were not needed.
ANGLU XUEREB STATEMENT
In a statement later this morning Mr Xuereb again referred to the newspaper story and while refuting the allegations made, said the family remains determined to respond and to seek justice in court for the great damage they are suffering and are yet to suffer as a result of these allegations. However, at present all focus should be on allowing the Police carry on with the necessary investigations unhindered.
"Furthermore, at this difficult time, my sole priority is that of dedicating all my energies towards supporting my family and towards seeking to maybe find some way to comfort my daughter Claire, and to her support to try to surmount the devastation caused by this tragedy."
Last week, on the day after the incident, Mr Xuereb when speaking to timesofmalta.com described his son-in-law as a hero and said the family was "very confused" on the reasons that led to the double homicide on New Year's Day.
Nicholas Gera, the other victim, is believed to have broken into Mr Zammit's apartment in High Street Sliema at around 6 a.m.
A fight involving knives ensued between the two men in the presence of Mr Zammit's wife, Claire Zammit Xuereb, and their three-month old twins – who were sleeping in another room.
The police seem to have discarded the initial theory that Mr Gera's was a botched robbery and are still trying to establish the link between the intruder and the couple.
However, Mr Xuereb said that police record checks of the victims' mobile phones and e-mails found absolutely no link between Mr Gera and the couple.