A judge this afternoon indefinitely put off a murder trial after accepting a request by the Attorney General to have the murder suspect and his alleged accomplice stand trial together, to save time and costs.

Mr Justice Michael Mallia was ruling over a request in connection with a murder trial that was meant to start on Monday on the murder of Albert Brian Rosso in 2005.

Piero Di Bartolo, 41, a Sicilian man who lives in Malta, was due to face a trial by jury for complicity in the murder. He is denying the charges.

Anthony Bugeja, 49, is awaiting a separate trial by jury over the murder of Mr Rosso in October 2005.

The Attorney General filed a request before the court for the trial to be postponed so that the cases against Mr Di Bartolo and Mr Bugeja are heard during one trial in view of common witnesses and common evidence.

Mr Justice Mallia upheld this request, saying this was more practical but Mr Di Bartolo’s defence lawyer, Roberto Montalto, is expected to file a counter-request to have the cases separated again.

Mr Di Bartolo was expected to face three charges in his trial: complicity in Mr Rosso’s murder, hiding the corpse – that has never been found – and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime.

According to the prosecution, Mr Bugeja called Mr Rosso on October 10, 2005, to go to his house to discuss some issues related to their fishing business, particularly over the fishing vessel Desiree that they both owned. Mr Di Bartolo, who was their employee and worked on the same vessel, was also there.

The discussion ended badly and, according to the prosecution, Mr Bugeja and Mr Di Bartolo agreed to kill Mr Rosso. Mr Bugeja allegedly shot Mr Rosso and the two then dumped his body out at sea, outside the Freeport.

Lawyer Philip Galea Farrugia, from the Attorney General’s office, is prosecuting.