No surveillance cameras were installed at the police headquarters’s strongroom when a necklace belonging to a murder victim went missing, a court heart yesterday.

Although cameras monitored other areas of the depot in Floriana, there were none outside the quartermaster’s stores at the time the €25,000 gold choker vanished.

Police Inspector Fabian Fleri told Magistrate Josette Demicoli he was still investigating the disappearance of murdered taxi driver Matthew Zahra’s necklace.

Mr Zahra’s family is seeking explanations about the jewellery, which police say was deposited in the strongroom where exhibits are held on August 25, 2012, and could not be traced when they went to retrieve it on May 16, 2013.

Insp. Fleri was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Jason Galea, 39, of Marsa and Ronald Urry, 49, of Paola, who deny murdering Mr Zahra in August 2012.

Mr Zahra’s remains were found buried in a field in Qajjenza last year. Alfredo Attard testified in court that before burying the victim and covering his body with soil, Mr Urry took a gold necklace from around Mr Zahra’s neck but Mr Galea asked him to put it back.

The necklace was eventually found on someone who claimed to have bought it from Mr Galea.

Answering questions by Mr Galea’s defence counsel, Insp. Fleri said the necklace was one of the exhibits in the investigation into Mr Zahra’s disappearance.

He said it was being kept by the police as there were three different groups claiming it back: Mr Galea, who insisted it was originally his but had been taken by Mr Zahra as part-payment for money he owed him; Mr Zahra’s family; and the person who claimed he bought it from Mr Galea.

The officer said that although the quartermaster’s stores was a sensitive area where access was restricted, no log was kept of who went in and out. There were times when a group of people would go there to get exhibits.

He said he had interrogated a number of people in connection with the disappearance of the necklace, including police officers, but he did not have conclusive evidence that would support an arraignment.

The fact that Mr Zahra has not yet been given a proper burial was also raised in court yesterday.

His remains were recovered when the police were looking for the bodies of murdered drug baron Mario Camilleri, L-Imnieħru, and his son, Mario Jr.

The remains were eventually found together with animal carcasses and this demanded each part to be sorted and identified.

The court was informed that no headway had been made in sorting Mr Zahra’s remains.

Magistrate Demicoli ordered the court experts tasked with this process to conclude their assignment by January, when the next sitting is scheduled.

Police Inspectors Chris Pullicino, Fabian Fleri, Michael Mallia and Louise Calleja are prosecuting.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti appeared parte civile on behalf of the Zahra family and Joe Giglio appeared for Mr Galea.

Franco Debono and Angie Muscat represented for Mr Urry.