Lassana Cisse murder trial: Survivors' accounts, racial hatred allegations and witness testimony heard in court
Seven years after the killing of Ivorian national Lassana Cisse, a jury in Malta is hearing evidence in the trial of a former soldier accused of his murder. The first week of proceedings has brought testimony from shooting survivors, forensic experts and witnesses, while the prosecution maintains that racial hatred motivated the attack.
The trial of Lorin Scicluna, 29, a former Armed Forces of Malta soldier, began on 19 October 2026 before Judge Natasha Galea Sciberras.
Scicluna is accused of murdering 42-year-old Lassana Cisse Souleymane, who was shot dead on 6 April 2019 while walking along Triq il-Gebel, between Hal Far and Birzebbuga. He also faces attempted murder charges involving three other African migrants: Mohammed Jallow from The Gambia, Ibrahim Bah from Guinea and May Malimi from Chad.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Francesco Fenech, another former soldier implicated in the case, faces separate proceedings.
Prosecution alleges racial hatred
During the opening hearing, prosecutor Abigail Caruana Vella told jurors that racial hatred was central to the attacks.
According to the prosecution, Scicluna and Fenech travelled towards Hal Far after removing the registration plates from their vehicle. The prosecution alleges that the two men deliberately targeted Black migrants.
Cisse was shot in the head, while Jallow and Bah were wounded in a separate shooting along the same road that evening. Prosecutors have also linked the accused to an earlier incident in February 2019 in which Malimi was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured.
Survivors describe the shooting
On 22 October, the court heard previously recorded testimony from Jallow and Bah, who described being shot while returning home after watching a football match.
According to reports by Times of Malta and MaltaToday, the two men initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks.
Jallow described a vehicle moving closer to them before shots were fired. Both men survived their injuries but were unable to identify the occupants of the vehicle.
Witness account challenged by defence
Another significant development concerned the testimony of Dylan German, a friend of Scicluna and cousin of Fenech. German alleged that Scicluna had spoken to him about travelling to Hal Far on the night of the killing after removing his car's registration plates.
During cross-examination, the defence challenged German's recollection and credibility, questioning inconsistencies in his previous statements. On Friday, the jury also heard about a recorded confrontation between German and Fenech, during which German acknowledged having made false statements.
Forensic evidence examined
Throughout the week, jurors were shown CCTV recordings, ballistic evidence and photographs from the crime scene. Medical experts confirmed that a bullet entered Cisse's skull and lodged in his brain.
The court also examined evidence recovered from the road and surrounding buildings.
During Friday's hearing, a ballistics expert explained the trajectories of shots fired at the scene, while the defence questioned aspects of the forensic measurements and reconstruction.
The proceedings have also included material recovered from Fenech's mobile phone, including Nazi symbols and extremist messages, presented to the jury at the defence's request.
The trial continues, with Scicluna presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This report was compiled by African Media Association Malta from courtroom coverage published by MaltaToday, Times of Malta, The Malta Independent and TVM News between 19 and 23 October 2026.
AI Transparency Note: This article was prepared with AI assistance to summarise information from published media reports. The content was reviewed and edited by African Media Association Malta, which retains editorial responsibility for its publication.
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