A friend of murdered transvestite prostitute Simon Grech yesterday said she could not remember giving any details to police or even testifying before a magistrate because of her drug abuse.

Taking the witness stand, Ronald Grima, also known as Romina, was questioned by Police Inspector Chris Pullicino over what she knew, but failed to remember anything.

Ms Grima was testifying in the case against 42-year-old Ismael Habesh from Libya and Faical Mahouachi, 46, of Tunisia, who are pleading not guilty to murdering Mr Grech.

Mr Grech was found at about 4pm on April 13, 2005, lying on his back amid a carpet of wild marigolds in a field situated near the roundabout known as Is-Salib tal-Marsa, adjacent to the HSBC Bank.

Police almost tripped on a woman’s shoe before they saw the decomposed body.

Ms Grima was repeatedly questioned and asked for her version until the inspector had to read out the version she gave to the police and then confirmed on oath before a magistrate during the initial inquiry.

Inspector Pullicino asked her if she could remember telling the police that she had heard a Libyan man say that Mr Habesh had asked him if a dead body could be identified after some 20 days.

The Libyan told her he replied to Mr Habesh that it could be identified even after 100 days.

Ms Grima said she could recall those words but could not remember the details as she had a drug abuse problem at the time she had testified.

She was also asked if she could recall telling the police that she had asked Mr Habesh if he was still in a relationship with the deceased, to which Mr Habesh said he was not because he did not want his son to find out that his father was with a gay man.

She said she could not remember that either.

The case continues.