Two AFM soldiers arrested for Ħal Far migrant murder

Two soldiers from the Armed Forces of Malta were arrested for their alleged involvement in the drive-by killing of Ivorian migrant Lassana Cisse in Hal Far last month, according to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Forty-two-year-old Cisse was brutally killed on 6 April as he was walking along Triq il-Gebel, between Birzebbuga and the Hal Far Open Centre, where he would visit friends to see whether they were adjusting to life in Malta.

Two other men, a 22-year-old Guinean and a 28year-old Gambian, were also shot on the same day, while a 17-year-old from Chad was injured in a hitand-run on the same road in February.

Sources close to the investigation said that one of the accused was arrested on Friday evening and

confessed to having been involved in both the murder and the hit-and-run. He claimed, however, not to have fired any shots, pointing the finger at another AFM soldier, sources have said.

A second soldier was apprehended yesterday. A statement issued by the police confirmed that two Maltese nationals had been arrested. It is unclear what rank the two soldiers are and where they were stationed.

The Malta Independent on Sunday is not publishing the names or photos of the accused as they are yet to be charged in court.

It is believed to be the first racially motivated murder in Malta, with sources close to the investigation saying that one of the accused had admitted to targeting the migrants “because they were black.”

A source close to the investigation said that the police had combed through CCTV footage from the area, which then led to the identification of the vehicle used in the murder, through which the two suspects were identified.

Following the murder a manhunt was launched, with law enforcement on the lookout for a white Toyota Starlet. It is believed that shots were fired from the passenger side.

The statement issued by the police yesterday afternoon indicated that both the car and the weapon suspected to have been used in the murder had been recovered. Sources also indicated that the weapon was registered to one of the suspects.

Arrested soldiers ‘do not represent ethos of Armed Forces of Malta’ - Prime Minister

Reacting to news of the arrests, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the two soldiers arrested in connection with the murder were not representative of the Armed Forces of Malta.

“I would like to thank the Malta Police Force for their work in solving this important case,” he said in a statement.

“I would also like to state that the persons who were arrested do not represent the ethos of the Armed Forces of Malta, which I am convinced is doing very important work for our society. Nevertheless, I still believe that we need to reflect on what happened. In parallel, there is an ongoing internal investigation along with other security services, to determine whether these are rogue individuals or part of something wider.

“The conclusion of this investigation by the police shows that Malta is a safe place for everyone, and it should remain so, whether for the Maltese or any other nationality. In our country, everyone is required to follow the law.

“This is also further proof that words of hatred and division have no place in our society. It is a strong signal to all those who spread hate speech that their illplaced sentiments have serious consequences.

“This is the reason we remain steadfast in our call for unity among the Maltese and all those who live in Malta.”

Delia calls for ‘urgent, independent, transparent and thorough investigation’

Leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia also condemned “hate crime, racially motivated violence and racial discrimination in all its forms,” and demanded that “an urgent, independent, transparent and thorough investigation” be conducted.

Sharing his thoughts on Twitter, Delia said “this is not the Malta we want.”

“Much work is to be done to make Malta a truly safe place. Well done to the Malta Police Force for their sterling work,” he said.

Calm must reign - President

President George Vella expressed his sadness at yesterday’s developments, offering condolences to the migrant and foreign community, and appealing for “calm to reign” and for this incident to “draw us closer together, and not be manipulated to sow division in our society.”

He said that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but warned of the dangers of racist, xenophobic, and extremist talk, saying that this language of hate is to be condemned and should not be allowed to take root in Malta.

He said that it was very unfortunate that the accused were members of a disciplined corps, but emphasised that this did not reflect the country’s various disciplined corps and their members, who work with loyalty and dedication to serve the community.

The President said that an incident like this should lead to deep and lengthy reflection and a sincere dialogue on the future of the country as a multi-ethnic, multicultural and tolerant society.

NGOs praise work of police; urge authorities to do all they can to prevent hate crime

In a statement, three NGOs praised the police for finding those responsible and bringing them to justice.

Aditus, the Jesuit Refugee Service and Integra Foundation said that they were both “relieved and angered” by news of the arrests.

“Lassana was specifically targeted and murdered in cold blood because of his colour. This was a racially motivated crime; an act of violence that must send a shudder through the body of every one of us. We hope that the arrests will bring some peace of mind to Lassana’s family, as well as to Mohamed and Ibrahim, the two survivors still coming to terms with what happened to them and who may never recover from this vicious attack.”

UNHCR “deeply perturbed” by murder’s racial motivation

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Malta commended the work of the police force for its investigation and apprehension of the alleged perpetrators of the shooting and the hit-and-run.

“UNHCR is deeply perturbed by the news reports confirming that the murder was in fact racially motivated.”

“A thorough investigation and review is required to root out any rogue elements within the AFM,” the UNHCR said, adding that it was ready to help where it could. “The AFM continues to save thousands of lives of refugees and migrants at sea.”

We hope this case is not being used and spun to shut up Maltese who have always fought for their country - MPM

Moviment Patrijotti Maltin condemned the murder “without reservation” and said that it hoped that the Maltese media recognised the need to set aside “extra sensationalism,” as this never brought about positive things.

“It is a curious fact that unfounded and premature doubts that were spread by the media a few hours after the murder have consolidated themselves now, a few days before such an important election for the Maltese people. We hope that this case is not being used and spun to shut the mouths of Maltese who have always fought in favour of our country’s cause in the most civil and democratic manner,” the party said in a statement.

Shocking news - Cassola

Independent MEP candidate Arnold Cassola, meanwhile, described the news as ‘shocking’.

“Bad apples exist everywhere and anytime, but having two soldiers – whose mission it is to protect all of us – consciously involved in hate actions and killings is really too much to digest,” he said.

“Those politicians who have fanned racial hatred through their white supremacy theories or apartheid proposals – like separate public buses for non-white people – have a lot to answer for,” he said.

The independent candidate thanked those “law-abiding and peace-loving members” of the armed forces “who are there daily to protect us all from the hatred that a small minority has propagated.”