A 66-year-old man was fatally shot 20 years ago by friends who intended to rob him after he boasted that he carried a lot of cash on him – but he was carrying nothing, a court was told today.

“He was shot and killed for nothing,” prosecutor Aaron Bugeja, from the Attorney General’s Office, said at the opening of the trial by jury of George Pace, 58, of Birkirkara, who is accused of the murder. Earlier, Carmelo Sant, 58 of Gharghur, pleaded guilty before the trial started.

Both were accused of killing Nazzareno Ebejer in a room at l-Ahrax in Mellieha on April 8, 1989.

Dr Bugeja said that Mr Ebejer’s fault in all of this was that he used to boast that he carried a lot of money on him.

Pace, Sant and another man, Michael Vella, who has since died, had got to know Mr Ebejer at the old railway station in Birkirkara and decided to rob him, Dr Bugeja said.

Following a meal they decided to go clean a room at l-ahrax and Mr Ebejer was shot at point blank range in the head and the chest with a shotgun.

The prosecutor said that Mr Pace had made three statements to the police in September 2004 where he spoke of his direct involvement in the case. He told the police that the three had agreed to rob Mr Ebejer, but he said he did not know that Sant was going to kill him.

After Mr Ebejer was shot he had made a sign of the cross on his head.

Mr Ebejer was searched but no money was found on him, Mr Pace had told the police.

An old shotgun used for the killing was displayed in court. Dr Bugeja said it was found in a property belonging to Carmelo Sant’s nephew in Dingli.

The trial continues.