A magistrate this afternoon ordered the extradition of Mafia boss Sebastiano Brunno who is wanted in Italy to serve a life sentence over a 1992 murder.

Sebastiano Brunno, 56, was arrested in Buġibba on October 2, five years after the Sicilian police mounted an extensive hunt for him. He is known as the head of the Nardo Cosca, a branch of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra.

The arrest followed an international investigation coordinated by the Catania anti-Mafia unit with the Maltese CID and Drug Squad.

Proceedings began after the Catania authorities wrote  to their Maltese counterparts that Mr Brunno was wanted to serve time in jail over a murder of Agnello Nicolò in April 1992 and for possession of weapons.

The Italians had previously said they also wanted Mr Brunno over an attempted murder in September that year but the conviction on this crime had been overturned at appeal stage.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja said that a mistake in the request did not change its substance and that the judgment proved that Mr Brunno had not served the time in jail over the murder.

He ordered his extradition, only after he served his three-month jail time in Malta for being in possession of a fake Italian passport.

Mr Brunno will not be extradited before the 15-day time window to appeal the extradition judgment.

Deputy Attorney General Donatella Dimech and Police Inspector Mario Cuschieri prosecuted while lawyers Roberto Montalto and Michaela Spiteri appeared for Mr Brunno.