Vincent Muscat, who was shot in the head while in his car outside his Msida home in April, did not turn up in court to testify against his alleged aggressor this morning and sent a doctor's certificate to show he has eye problems.

He was, however, ordered to testify tomorrow at the police headquarters after Magistrate Carol Peralta ruled he would ensure the case was not delayed unnecessarily. The testimony will then be presented in court during another sitting.

Mr Muscat, known as il-Kohhu, was hit three times as he was seated in his car, parked outside his house in Bordin Stree on April 8 at about 11.30pm.

Jonathan Pace, 31, from Gudja was charged with trying to kill him.

When Mr Muscat's lawyer, Kathleen Grima, presented the doctor's certificate Mr Pace's lawyers - Giannella de Marco and Joseph Giglio - pointed out that Mr Muscat had been discharged from hospital on April 24 and found no difficulty going to  police headquarters to give evidence on May 3.

The lawyers also noted that Mr Muscat had a pending court case against him, over the botched heist on the HSBC headquarters in Qormi, in 2010, and had not turned up for the case against him producing the doctor's certificate as an excuse.

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