Rough sea prevents search for apparent human remains

Rough sea yesterday prevented Civil Protection Department divers from searching the seabed after a diver noticed what seemed to him to be human remains off Delimara Point on Thursday afternoon.

CPD personnel went to the spot immediately after confidential information about the discovery reached the police.

CPD director Peter Cordina said on Thursday the search had to be called off because of the rough sea and darkness.

It was reported that the diver found what is thought to be human bones in 20-metre deep water about 100 metres off Delimara Point.

The search is expected to continue today, weather permitting.

Sources close to the police said they are leaving all possibilities open since the zone where the remains were found is in the area on which they had focused when looking for the body of Brian Rosso, 48, of Marsascala, who was dumped in the sea after he was shot dead in October last year.

Two men, Anthony Bugeja, 37, and 31-year-old Piero Di Bartolo were charged with Mr Rosso's murder on October 23, 2005.

From evidence given in court, it resulted that during investigations one of the accused had told the police the body was wrapped in a light red blanket and weighted by a stone slab and then disposed off about three to four miles away from the reef near the Freeport.