Jurors Hear Lorin Scicluna Accused Friend of Firing Fatal Shots at Lassana Cisse
In brief
- Lorin Scicluna broke down during police interrogation before accusing Francesco Fenech of the murder.
- The testimony was delivered to jurors during the ongoing trial into the 2019 fatal shooting of Lassana Cisse.
- Both former soldiers face charges in connection with the drive-by attack in Birżebbuġa.
Jurors in the trial over the 2019 murder of Lassana Cisse heard testimony describing how co-accused Lorin Scicluna broke down in tears during police questioning before naming his friend Francesco Fenech as the shooter.
The courtroom details emerged as prosecutors continued presenting their case against the two former members of the Armed Forces of Malta. Both men stand accused of carrying out the fatal drive-by shooting in Birżebbuġa.
Police investigators recounted Scicluna's interrogation in the days following the murder. Officers testified that the suspect became visibly emotional before altering his initial account and identifying Fenech as the person who pulled the trigger.
Cisse, a 42-year-old father from the Ivory Coast, was killed while walking home along an unlit road in April 2019. Two other migrants were also wounded in the shooting, which investigators treated as Malta's first racially motivated murder.
The prosecution contends that the two accused specifically targeted foreign nationals as they drove through the area in Scicluna's vehicle. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Proceedings before the Criminal Court are set to continue over the coming days, with further witnesses and forensic experts scheduled to take the stand before jurors begin their deliberations.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets covered the court testimony consistently, highlighting the investigator's account of the police interrogation.