Man Accused Of Chopping Up Body In Gżira Luggage Case Now Charged With Murder
The man accused of dismembering a body and stuffing it into a suitcase found floating near Gżira has now been officially charged with murder.
Times of Malta reported that 43-year-old Andres Leonardo Gamboa Duran, a Colombian national, pleaded not guilty to the charge as proceedings continued in court on Thursday.
The remains of Raoul Eduardo Rei were discovered inside the suitcase after two children on a paddle boat pulled it to shore.
Members of the public opened it and immediately suspected it contained human remains, prompting police intervention.
Initially, police had not filed murder charges, as it was unclear how Rei had died. However, an autopsy later suggested suffocation as the likely cause of death, though the findings were inconclusive.
The court also saw a photographic survey of the contents of two Msida apartments linked to the case.
Meanwhile, police inspector Kurt Colombo Zahra is expected to testify to provide further details on the investigation during the next sitting on 13th March.
Duran was arrested two days after the suitcase was discovered and previously told investigators that he had cut up the victim’s body after finding him dead in an apartment.
The magistrate ruled that there is enough prima facie evidence for Duran to be formally indicted and brought to trial.
The case is being prosecuted by Wayne Camilleri, Kurt Zahra, Dejan Darmanin, and Kaylie Bonnett, while Yanica Barbara Sant is representing the accused.
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