Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539534
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWS Former employee gets suspended jail term over €16,000 cash theft from kiosk A woman has been sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, after she admitted to a series of thefts from a Sliema ki- osk she worked at. Valeria Danna Gallego Millan had initially pleaded not guilty but changed her plea on Tuesday. The kiosk owner claimed that €16,000 in cash had been stolen. In court, the accused admitted to taking money but insisted that the sum amounted to €1,500 and not the figure claimed by her employ- er. Nevertheless, the woman repaid a substantial portion of the sto- len money corresponding to the amount indicated by the kiosk owner. Both the defence and the prose- cution agreed that the appropriate punishment was a suspended sen- tence in light of her cooperation with the police and a clean crim- inal record. "Who hasn't made a mistake at some point in their life? If no one ever erred, we would not even be here," lawyer Charles Mercieca said. The court, presided over by Magistrate Astrid May Grima, ac- cepted the joint request from the parties but added that the woman is to return to her country once the outstanding sum is settled. In its remarks, the court observed that everyone makes mistakes, and that the purpose of the sus- pended sentence is corrective, giving an opportunity for reform. The woman was found guilty by her own admission and handed a one-year sentence, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to pay the remaining €5,000 within two weeks from the date of judg- ment. The €5,000 was established as the balance still owed by the woman. The court also ordered that a copy of the judgment be sent to the Principal Immigration Officer for any necessary action, such as her removal from Malta. The prosecution was led by Attorney General lawyer Luigi Gulia and Inspector Ian Azzo- pardi. Lawyer Charles Mercieca appeared for the accused. Law- yers Mario Mifsud and Nicholas Mifsud appeared for the parte civile. MAYA GALEA mgalea@mediatoday.com.mt Rabat murders: Priest recalls anguish of victims' relatives THE compilation of evidence against Carmelo Ciantar, accused of the Baħrija double murder, continued on Tuesday with tes- timony from experts, police of- ficers, and a priest who was near- by on the day of the killings. Robert Musumeci, appearing as a court expert, presented a tech- nical survey of the site where An- thony Agius and Dennis Mifsud were killed. His report included photographs, a block plan of the scene, and a diagram showing where the cars were found. He explained that Mifsud was discov- ered dead inside a Toyota, while Agius was lying on the ground nearby. Investigators also not- ed smoke coming from a nearby room. Medical doctor Anthony Zahra was called to testify, but proceed- ings were suspended after the defence objected that his autopsy reports were incomplete. Fr Joseph Abela testified that on 29 July, an elderly woman alerted him that someone was lying on the ground outside the church. When he stepped outside, he saw smoke rising from a field room and a white van parked nearby, while bystanders shouted: "He killed them!" The priest said his instinct was to approach to administer the last rites, but police stopped him, warning it was an active crime scene. He stressed that he never saw the bodies himself. Later, Magistrate Joe Mifsud asked whether he had seen a sheet covering one of the victims, but Fr Abela said he could not con- firm. He recalled instead seeing five distressed women seated on a bench near the church, whom he assumed were relatives of the victims. Their visible anguish, he said, left a lasting impression. The priest confirmed that the church had nine outdoor securi- ty cameras but none inside. After the incident, he returned to the sacristy, had a coffee, and cele- brated Mass despite the tense at- mosphere outside. Sergeant Joseph Gatt confirmed that two men were found dead at the scene. Inspector Gary Scerri of the homicide unit testified that Ci- antar was later arrested in the Pama shopping village car park. While on the phone at the time, he immediately confessed, telling officers: "I shot him in the head, then I shot the other while he was standing." Scerri said Ciantar admitted he had planned to kill himself af- terwards. Police found a firearm with three live rounds in his van, along with diesel and a lighter. Ciantar said the lighter was nor- mally used for burning crops but admitted starting the fire inside the room near the victims. Inspector Cheyenne Mangion confirmed that both victims' ID cards were found cut in half at the scene. She said Ciantar's daugh- ter, Kelly Agius, had called him after the killings, during which he confessed. His partner, Agnes Mifsud, also told police that Ci- antar "does harm" to the family and described their relationship as turbulent. During interrogation, Ciantar admitted responsibility, telling police: "I did it, the big mistake. You don't have to kill someone." He said he forgave Mifsud but not Agius, against whom he bore a grudge. He claimed he acted in the heat of the moment and only felt remorse two hours later. He told investigators he had covered Mifsud with a sheet but not Agius, and said he would apologise to Mifsud but not to Agius. He added that had police not intervened, he would have killed himself in the Pama car park, even in front of children, re- marking: "They would forget." The firearm was later recovered fully loaded from his van. The case continues on 21 Octo- ber. Attorney General lawyer Antho- ny Vella is leading the prosecu- tion, assisted by Inspectors Kurt Colombo Zahra, Wayne Camill- eri and Cheyenne Mangion. Lawyers Franco Debono, Adrea- na Zammit, Anthea Bonnici Zam- mit and Francesca Zarb appeared for the accused, while lawyers Mario Mifsud, Nicholas Mifsud and David Chetcuti Dimech rep- resented the victims' families. Magistrate Astrid May Grima is presiding. JULIA DOWLING jdowling@mediatoday.com.mt Carmelo Ciantar is accused of the Bahrija double murder (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)