A man accused of being part of a cocaine smuggling conspiracy is finally facing trial, almost seven years after he was first arrested. 

Ikechukwu Stephen Egbo, 38, could face a life in prison if he is found guilty in the trial by jury. 

Mr Egbo, a Nigerian national, had been arrested in November 2010 following a sting operation by police in Sliema. 

A few days earlier, police at Malta International Airport had arrested a passenger who had just landed on a flight from Düsseldorf. The man, Attila Somlyai, was caught with some 60 capsules inside his stomach. Inside the capsules were 600 grams of cocaine, with a street value of about €44,266.

Police had subsequently used Mr Somlyai to arrange a controlled set up in Sliema which led to the arrest of the alleged consignee, Mr Egbo.

Mr Egbo was initially denied bail but was eventually released from custody at a later stage, under strict conditions.

But when he failed to turn up for court sittings in December 2015, authorities discovered he had left the island. Mr Egbo was eventually traced to Hungary, where he was arrested and extradited to Malta in March 2016. 

He had told the court that he had left Malta because he saw that no progress was being made on his case, and that the five-year wait to undergo trial posed a threat to his right to a fair hearing.

Now that wait is over as yesterday, following the issue of the bill of indictment, the man’s trial by jury finally kicked off presided over by Madame Justice Edwina Grima before a panel of nine jurors.

Lawyers Simon Micallef Stafrace and Mark Sant are defence counsel. Lawyer Giannella Busuttil from the Attorney General's office is prosecuting.