Updated 6.55pm with Attorney General's reaction below.
A Magistrates’ Court voiced serious concerns about “management of cases by the Attorney General’s Office” after the records of the Għaxaq double murder compilation reached court on the very morning of next scheduled hearing.
This message was expressed on Monday morning when Joseph Bonnici, 38, was back in court in the ongoing compilation over the alleged murder of his mother and sister in March.
Yet, the planned programme for Monday's hearing was somewhat hindered by the fact that the prosecution could not summon certain witnesses once the records of the compilation had only reached court from the AG’s Office at 9.00am on Monday.
Such a delay raised “serious questions about the management of cases by the AG’s Office,” said Magistrate Joe Mifsud, pointing out that a copy of the note of referral could at least be forwarded to the Court Deputy so that the prosecution could summon its witnesses in due time for the next hearing.
The Court ordered that a copy of this minute be communicated to Dr Peter Grech and the Justice Minister.
Read: 'It's not a pretty sight,' man accused of double murder told investigators
As the session proceeded, forensic expert Dr Marisa Cassar exhibited the mallet allegedly used by the accused after shooting his alleged victims.
Although not visible in a large white paper sack, the weapon appeared to have a long handle as the expert handed over the exhibit and reported that she had carried out a comparative analysis of DNA samples with the profiles of the alleged murderer and his two victims.
Another expert to testify on Monday was Martin Bajada, tasked with downloading and analysing CCTV footage from various sites linked to the murder.
Among these was footage from the office where the accused’s sister used to work, showing Mr Bonnici who had turned up on March 26 checking whether Angele had reported for work.
Other footage from the victims’ home had captured mother and daughter going about the house shortly before they allegedly met their fate.
They were last seen on March 26 between 20:54 and 21:10, Dr Bajada explained, adding that there was no footage between 21:23 and 22:04 of the following day.
Other footage from the Wasteserv Civic Amenity Site had recorded the accused’s car entering the site for some four or five minutes.
During Monday’s hearing reference was made to an application filed on behalf of the accused’s girlfriend who, following the murder, had suddenly found herself out of the home she had shared with her partner for the past 10 years.
The court was informed that the woman had meanwhile been offered accommodation at a friend’s home but was seeking court authorisation to retrieve her personal belongings from the Għaxaq home.
The Court adjourned the case to Wednesday to hear witnesses who were meant to testify on Monday.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are defence counsel.
Attorney General's reaction
In a reaction to the court's remarks, the Attorney General’s Office said that it first received the documents of the case on April 29.
After a time extension granted by the Criminal Court at the request of the Office, the Office had up to June 12 to examine the documents and issue a bill of indictment or otherwise.
In order not to waste time, because it knew of the sitting scheduled for Monday, the Office chose not to keep the documents up to June 12 but sent them back to the court so that the sitting could be held.
The court was informed by e-mail to the deputy registrar on May 29 that despite the extension, the Office was sending the documents back so that the sitting could be held as scheduled.
“It is clear, therefore, that the Office of the Attorney General cooperated with the court, and actually did more than required by law in the circumstances. It is absolutely not the case that it was responsible for any mismanagement or delays,” the Office said.