Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1118959
MATTHEW VELLA TWO young soldiers in the Armed Forces of Malta have been arrested in connection with the murder of the Ivorian national Lassana Cisse Sou- leymane, 42, and the attempted mur- der of two other men on 6 April, 2019, in Hal Far. The two men are Francesco Fenech of Zejtun, who joined the army in 2018, and Lorin Scicluna, of Paola. The victims were walking from Birzebbuga and into Hal Far on the Triq tal-Gebel at 11pm when shots were fired from a car, suspected to be a white Toyota Starlet. The other two victims were a 22-year-old from Guinea and a 28-year-old from Gambia. All three were migrant workers. Police have a confession in their hands that connects one AFM soldier to the attempted murder of another man, three months earlier: a 17-year- old migrant from Chad, May Malimi, run over in a deliberate hit-and-run and left unconscious by the side of the same road. Ivorian Lassane Cisse Souleymane, a father of three, was killed on the spot after being shot in the head on Satur- day, 6 April at 11pm. The two other injured men were found a short dis- tance away from the victim. Triq il-Ġebel is a country lane, that connects Hal Far road with the centre of Birżebbuġa. It is commonly used by residents at the Hal Far open centre to reach Birżebbuġa. All three were resi- dents at the migrants' open centre in Hal Far. It is the first serious case of racially motivated murder to have occurred in cold blood in Malta. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat thanked the Maltese police force for their work. "The two persons arrest- ed do not represent the ethos of the Armed Forces of Malta," he said in a series of tweets. "There is an ongoing internal in- vestigation along with other security services, to determine whether these are isolated, rogue individuals, or part of something wider. The conclu- sion of this investigation shows that Malta is a safe place for everyone, and it should remain so. Words of hatred and division have no place in our society. It is a strong signal to all those who spread hate speech. There are consequences to spreading such ill-placed sentiments. We remain steadfast in our call for unity among the Maltese and all those who live in Malta." CCTV footage from the area was analysed by police, leading to the identification of the car which was traced back to the two soldiers. PGS 2-3 YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday €1.95 2 today T. 2379 4794 | www.franksalt.com.mt | fs@franksalt.com.mt Y E A R S O F R E A L E S T A T E 1 9 6 9 2 0 1 9 For the last 50 years we have put integrity at the core of everything we do, driven to give you more than you expect. Local. Experienced. Personal. Frank. Since 1969. Music of the mind today today SUNDAY • 19 MAY 2019 • ISSUE 1019 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY PETER AGIUS The Brussels expert and his bid for MEP INTERVIEW 18-19 INSIDE THE PN Eclectic musical outfi t Djun bassist Charles Cassar INSIDE Rival factions eye Stellini vacancy to place their allies PAGE 4 maltatoday This Week Charles Cassar, bassist and lead songwriter for eclectic musical outfit Djun Q and A Fran Farrugia Film Greta 2 The all new pull-out section INSIDE • LISTINGS • TV • LAW • CLASSIFIEDS Two Armed Forces soldiers to be charged with drive-by shooting of Ivorian Lassana Souleymane and attempted murder of two other men, as well as deliberate hit-and-run of Chadian national at Hal Far hotspot • One soldier admits to racially motivated murder PETER AGIUS The Brussels expert and his bid for MEP INTERVIEW INSIDE THE PN Rival factions eye Stellini vacancy to place their allies PAGE 4 MEP ELECTIONS Adrian Delia stares defeat in the face, PL has 13 point lead PGS 14-17 mt survey IN COLD BLOOD Murdered... for being black. Lassana Cisse Souleymane, a father of three, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting