Jamie Vella and Robert Agius offered Vince Muscat €1,500 a month to stay silent on their involvement in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, a witness has revealed. 

The witness, who cannot be named by court order, is related to Muscat.

Taking the stand earlier today, the man recounted how sometime in September or October 2020, Vella approached him in a Marsa bar with a request. 

Vella told the man to inform Muscat that Agius and himself were willing to provide the lifetime fees to buy his silence. Vella and Agius have recently been charged with complicity in the murder. with Muscat informing investigators and the courts that the pair had procured the bomb. 

The man recalled how he had a five to 10 minute conversation with Vella on the issue. While the man was uncertain on particular dates, he said this meeting happened on a Saturday morning during a month where “people did not wear face masks”.

He said that Vella returned five days later. However, the witness told him the offer was not accepted, and went back into the bar to avoid continuing the conversation.

Vella approached the man a second time around four weeks later. The response was the same.

However, while the witness did identify Vella in court, he confirmed that he was unable to identify him in a police line-up.

Defence lawyer Alfred Abela pounced on that point, even warning the witness that he was under oath. However, the witness insisted that Vella was the man he met. 

In yesterday’s sitting, Homicide Superintendent Keith Arnaud confirmed that Muscat identified Vella and Agius as the men who supplied the bomb. The bomb was stored in a garage in Naxxar. The man who rented the garage for Agius, John Bugeja, also testified today and confirmed Agius was the person who used it.

Muscat and the Degiorgios were arrested on 5th December 2017 and charged with the murder. That same day, both Agius and Vella were arrested, but the police did not have enough evidence to prosecute. 

Middleman-turned-state-witness Melvin Theuma was able to confirm the bomb had been supplied by “Ta’ Maksar” but was short on details. However, it was Vince Muscat’s information that led to their arrests. 

Today’s sitting is still underway.

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