The police are looking for two people who they suspect could have been involved in this morning’s murder during which a well-known criminal suspect was killed with multiple gunshot wounds.

According to an eyewitness, one is a medium to well built Caucasian, about 5’8” tall, assistant police commissioner Pierre Calleja said.

The murder took place in Triq Belt il-Hazna, Marsa at 11am.

AC Calleja was giving details of the murder during a crime conference this evening.

He said the victim, Pawlu Degabriele, 48, of Fgura, known as is-Suldat, was at a bar with another man before he was shot with a semi-automatic 9mm pistol. The weapon is still missing.

The victim was shot and hit five times as he was leaving the bar - three times in the head and two times in his upper body.

The victim was with another man who managed to escape. He was later questioned by the police.

The police believe the shooter was on foot but was picked up by a white stolen Nissan Vanette van that was stolen from Msida on January 9.

The van carried the number plates IBJ 352 that were stolen on May 19 from another vehicle.

It police believe that from Triq Belt il-Hazna, it  turned into Sqaq Sannat. 

It was later found torched in a garage complex in Triq Dun Frans Camilleri, Hamrun. The police are trying to obtain information from possible witnesses and any available CCTV footage in the relevant area.

AC Calleja appealed to anyone who may have any information or saw any suspicious activity in the area between 10am and noon this morning to contact the police in a confidential manner.

Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit said this was a pre-meditated murder targeted at one person.

Asked whether the police suspected the murder to be linked to any case the victim was or could have been involved in, Mr Calleja said that the victim had been convicted of theft but at this point the police could not link the murder to any cases he was investigated for or crimes he was suspected of committing.

Last October, a bomb had been placed under Mr Degabriele's truck that had been parked in Fgura.

In December, he was arrested in connection with the murder in Mosta in which a man from Marsascala was killed.

Magistrate Doreen Clark is holding an inquiry.

This is the second murder this year, after Ronald Galea, a 65-year-old Birkirkara businessman, was shot dead on February 18 outside his meat processing factory in Ħal Far.