Accused in taxi driver murder case files constitutional appeal

One of the men accused of murdering taxi driver Matthew Zahra, has filed a constitutional appeal claiming a breach of his fundamental rights after criminal proceedings against him were left pending for 23 years.

Ronald Urry, who is now under preventive arrest, and Raymond Bonnici of Marsa, had been arraigned on possession of a cheque amounting Lm93.35 (€225) back in December 1990, whose beneficiary was Antonia Dalli.

For over seven years the case was constantly put off over court technicalities, and for another eight years sentencing was postponed. The two men claimed that such lengthy proceedings had breached their right to an expedite judgement. Quoting case law, their application read that "criminal proceedings should be designed to avoid that a person charged should remain too long in a state of uncertainty about his fate".

Bonnici and Urry are requesting that the Constitutional Court declare a breach of fundamental rights and take the necessary steps to remedy the case. The Constitutional application was signed by lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri.

Urry is charged together with Jason Galea, with the murder of taxi driver Matthew Zahra back in August 2012. Zahra's remains were found in August 2013 on the second day of the police's retrieval of two other bodies, those of Mario Camilleri and his son Mario. Jason Galea is also charged with these murders. In both murders, the prosecution says Galea killed the men to cancel out the debts he had debts incurred with his victims.