Buccal swabs, taken from the suspects for DNA comparison tests, provided some animated discussion in another sitting as the compilation of evidence into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia resumed on Friday.
Brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio together with Vincent Muscat, the three suspects behind the car bomb that killed the journalist metres away from her Bidnija home on October 16, 2017, sat at the dock surrounded by five armed guards, while a series of witnesses took the stand, tying up some peripheral and procedural issues.
The sitting became animated when Assistant Police Commissioner Dennis Theuma stepped forward to testify about the procedure adopted when buccal swabs were taken from the Degiorgio brothers while under police custody.
The high-ranking officer explained how the whole process had been conducted at the CID headquarters in the presence of the inquiring magistrate, AC Theuma himself and another police officer.
One of the suspects, Mr Muscat, had not consented to the test.
Defence lawyer William Cuschieri asked the witness to state under oath whether the swabbing procedure and its purpose had been explained to the suspects beforehand and whether they had been granted the right to seek legal assistance at that stage.
Although replying in the affirmative, upon being pressed further, AC Theuma said he “did not quite remember,” pointing out that he had not been present throughout the whole procedure but reaffirmed that he stood by the declarations which he had signed.
The witness insisted that the suspects had been told about the process involved in taking the mouth swabs, as well as their purpose, namely for DNA comparison tests.
“After all, they knew the reason behind their arrest,” said AC Theuma, “namely in relation to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.”
During Friday’s sitting, a Europol expert who had assisted the Maltese police in the murder investigations, took the witness stand to correct a couple of minor details in the report exhibited earlier on in the compilation.
As the sitting drew to an end, the prosecution informed the court, presided over by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, that all experts testifying in the compilation had already done so, save for one who was to report further on his findings.
The case was adjourned to May.
Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted. Lawyers William Cuschieri, Josette Sultana and Martin Fenech were defence counsel. Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Eve Borg Costanzi appeared parte civile.