Lorin Scicluna and Francesco Fenech, the two former soldiers charged with murdering Lassana Cisse Souleymane in a drive-by shooting, have been granted bail.

Scicluna, 22, and Fenech, 21, were charged last May with murdering Ivorian national Lassana Cisse Souleymane while he was walking home along a country road in Ħal Far.

They have also been charged with the attempted murder of two other men, a Guinean and a Gambian, who were shot further up the road but who since recovered from their injuries.

Police strongly believe that this was a racially motivated murder, the first of its kind in Malta. Indeed, the suspects have admitted to police that they didn’t know who the men were before they shot them down last April.

Scicluna’s and Fenech’s lawyers yesterday requested bail for their clients, noting that all civilian witnesses have already testified, and magistrate Ian Farrugia accepted their request today.

They must each sign a bail book daily, pay a deposit of €30,000 and a personal guarantee of €20,000, and observe a curfew between 7pm and 6am.

Franco Debono and Kris Busiette are defending Scicluna, while Gianella Demarco and Stephen Tonna Lowell are representing Fenech.