Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1118959
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 MAY 2019 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A first man was arrested on Friday evening and was said to have confessed to having been in the car but not doing the actual shooting. He also admitted to having been behind the hit-and-run of the Chadian migrant, and admitted to doing it because the man was black. Both the car and the weapon are now in the police's possession. An internal investigation is now ex- pected to take place in the Armed Forces of Malta to determine whether the two men are part of a wider circle of people inside the AFM. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat thanked the Maltese police force for their work. "The two persons arrested do not rep- resent the ethos of the Armed Forces of Malta," he said in a series of tweets. "There is an ongoing internal investi- gation along with other security services, to determine whether these are isolated, rogue individuals, or part of something wider. The conclusion of this investiga- tion 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 sig- nal 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." Opposition leader Adrian Delia, who condemned all hate crime and racially motivated violence, however, said that much work had yet to be done to make Malta a truly safe place. He also congrat- ulated the Maltese police force. Commissioner of Police Lawrence Cutajar told MaltaToday that investiga- tions had been intensive from the first day, and that this success was down to better coordination between the police force's specialised units and district po- lice. Investigations of CCTV footage from the area was analysed by police, leading to the identification of the car which was traced back to two people. NGOs had warned that Malta would have to face up to what was an act of terror if the murder of the 42-year-old Ivorian Lassana Souleymane turns out to have been racially motivated. "We caution that, should it emerge that this was, in fact, a racially-motivated inci- dent, Malta would be called upon to face far more than an act of assault, but far graver crime aimed at instilling terror in entire communities." Migrants who live in the area and else- where in Malta were said to have been living in fear at the possibility of the crime being racially motivated: police had feared copycat killings or a violent response from the migrant community. Souleymane, 42, was described as a Good Samaritan by friends whom he had helped in their integration upon ar- riving in Malta. The three men had been walking home after watching a football match between Barcelona and Atletico Ma- drid in Birzebbuga, when they heard loud bangs. The two survivors had told The Times they thought nothing of it. The man from Gambia, Mohammed, recalled the shooting pain as the bullet entered one hip and exited the other one before he collapsed to the ground. In front of him, Ibrahim, "stretched out his arm, leaned against the wall and slid down as he called a friend to tell him they had been shot." The two victims are legally residents of Italy, and have been unable to work or return to Italy to renew their documen- tation. Mohammed was living in a room he shared with five others, and has since lost his home because he could not af- ford the €100 monthly rent. The 17-year-old from Chad, May Mal- imi, who was hit by a car and left uncon- scious on the side of Triq il-Ġebel with a fractured collarbone, had been found hours later "in a pool of blood" by two Somali men, who took him to the Hal Far open centre. Malimi said he was hit from the back and pushed to the ground while walking on the side of the road. Act of violence which chills every one of us – NGOs In a statement issued by the Aditus Foundation, Integra Foundation and JRS Malta following the news of the arrest, the NGOs commended the work carried out by the police force to bring the per- petrators of the crime to justice. "We are both relieved and angered to receive news of the arrest of one suspect for the murder and attack that occurred in Hal Far last month and hope the sec- ond will be captured as soon as possi- ble," the NGOs said. "Lassana was specifically targeted and murdered in cold blood because of his colour. This was a racially motivated hate crime, an act of violence that must send a shudder through the body of eve- ry one of us." The NGOs also said that they hoped the arrest would bring some element of closure to Lassana's family. "We hope that this arrest will bring- some peace of mind to the family of Lassana, and also to Mohammed and Ibrahim, the two survivors who are still coming to terms with what happened to them, and who may never recover from this vicious attack." "Hate festers and betrays us all, in- cluding the perpetrators of this despic- able and senseless act of violence," they added, as they urged the authorities, and everyone, to prevent hate crime now and in the future. UNCHR hails police The UN refugee agency in Malta com- mended the work of Malta's police force in apprehending the alleged perpetra- tors. It also acknowledged the AFM's role in rescuing and saving the lives of thousands of refugees and migrants at sea, and called for a thorough investiga- tion and review to "root out any rogue elements within the AFM". "We stand ready to engage with the local authorities on this issue," the UN- HCR said. UNHCR representative Kahin Ismail said that it was a relief for refugees and migrants living in the locality, as well as the for the community, that the alleged culprits were arrested. "We appreciate Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Min- ister Michael Farrugia for reminding the public that hate has no place in Malta, and hope that maximum efforts will be made to combat racism, xenophobia, and discrimination," Ismail added. Young soldier admits to running over Chadian 'because he was black' Lassana Cisse Souleymane (top) was described as a Good Samaritan among the migrant community. Below, the two soldiers arrested on suspicion of his murder: Lorin Scicluna (left) and Francesco Fenech "Words of hatred and division have no place in our society. It is a strong signal to all those who spread hate speech" Joseph Muscat