A man charged with murder “charmed” a former mobile phone company employee into giving him the victim’s itemised bill containing the numbers she had called, according to sources.

The sources said investigators suspect Kenneth Gafà approached the employee at a retail outlet at first enquiring about company offers. At some point, it is thought Mr Gafà asked for Christine Sammut’s itemised bill. According to industry sources, to do so an employee would first have to cross reference some particulars but in this case this did not happen.

The Vodafone employee, who has since been sacked, is said to have been a very popular hardworking person.

Ms Sammut, a 40-year-old mother and widow, was shot twice in the neck while sitting in her white van in Żebbiegħ on December 11. Sometime later Mr Gafà turned himself in at Ħamrun police station. He was arraigned two days later and pleaded not guilty to her murder.

The employee will now face criminal charges for breaching the Data Protection Act and the Professional Secrecy Act and could be slapped with a hefty fine of more than €20,000 and two years in prison.

He is not implicated as an accomplice in the crime.

Vodafone, which earlier this week confirmed it had sacked the employee in question, would not comment on these latest developments saying any further information could disrupt or hinder police investigations, in which they are cooperating.

However, the industry sources said Vodafone issued an internal circular to employees reminding them about the importance of professional secrecy and the legal consequences involved.