Police holding 33-year-old foreign national over Friday’s grisly Ta’ Giorni murder

The police are holding a 33-year-old foreign national for questioning over Friday’s grisly murder of 41-year-old Caroline Magri in Ta’ Giorni.

The police said the man in question resides in Sliema, but they did not give either his nationality or his name.

Unconfirmed reports have claimed the person being held is the victim’s partner, Togolese national Djibril Ganiou.

Ms Magri was found dead in bed in her apartment in Ta’ Giorni on Friday evening having been stabbed multiple times.

Sources close to the investigation said on Friday that the victim’s throat had also been cut in what police on site described as a “macabre” scene inside the apartment, which is located on Triq George P. Badger, Ta’ Giorni.

This newspaper has ascertained that the victim was known to the police and had a history of prostitution and drug-related offences.

Only last month Ms Magri had been involved in a violent altercation and had appeared in court on 25 August in connection with a fight that broke out in a Floriana apartment on 22 August involving her and three Africans.

The victim had been arraigned in court alongside Mr Ganiou after the brawl.

Mr Ganiou, and Ms Magri were accused of having grievously injured Mamadou Dian Diallo.

The victim had been arraigned in court alongside a Togolese national after the brawl.

The Togolese, Djibril Ganiou, and Ms Magri were accused of having grievously injured Mamadou Dian Diallo. Mr Ganiou was also accused individually of causing grievous injury to Mohammen Jallow. Ms Magri was also accused of having been in breach of several court rulings. The injured men suffered facial and eye injuries.

Lawyer Franco Debono – who had appeared for the defence along with Dr Marion Camilleri and Dr Amadeus Cachia – had requested bail. Inspector Jeffrey Scicluna, for the prosecution, found no objection to granting Ms Magri bail, but objected to bail for Mr Ganiou, considering he lived in the same apartment as the victims.

On the day, Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona heard that Mr Ganiou was able to find accommodation elsewhere, and as such both were granted bail on condition that they both stayed in Ms Magri’s apartment, and against personal guarantees of €5,000.

Ms Magri and Mr Ganiou had appeared in court previously, in September 2015, after the latter was accused of threatening and injuring Ms Magri and a police officer. Ms Magri apparently forgave Mr Ganiou and he was released on bail.