A Sicilian man accused of complicity in a 2005 murder is planning to file a constitutional case claiming his rights were breached as the case against him had dragged on for a decade.

The trial by jury of Piero di Bartolo was meant to start yesterday but it was postponed on the request of the Attorney General - so that he stands trial jointly with Anthony Bugeja, the man who the police believe shot and killed Albert Brian Rosso in October 2005.

In an urgent application filed on Thursday, Mr di Bartolo asked the court to revoke the court ruling, handed down on Wednesday, postponing the trial.

On Friday, Mr Justice Michael Mallia turned down the application of Mr di Bartolo who now plans to file a constitutional case.

Mr di Bartolo, a 40-year-old Sicilian, is charged with complicity in the murder of Mr Rosso, who went missing in October 2005 and whose body was never found.

Investigators believe that Mr Rosso was murdered in a Birżebbuġa garage and that his body was dumped at sea, outside the Freeport.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto is appearing for Mr di Bartolo.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.