Man murdered three years ago still not declared dead

Matthew Zahra has yet to be officially declared dead as his remains are still in the courts’ possession.

Zahra went missing in 2012 and his remains were found buried in a field in Birzebbuga in 2013.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, appearing parte civile for Zahra’s family, asked the court to release Zahra’s remains so that the family could give him a proper burial and achieve some sort of burial.

Jason Galea, 39, of Marsa and Ronald Urry, 49, of Paola are pleading not guilty to the murder of 27-year-old Zahra, a taxi-driver, in August 2012.

Filletti informed the court matters were complicated because Zahra’s cause of death still had to be determined.

“It is important to have a death certificate because of inheritance issues,” he said.

“Tests revealed that the remains are of Zahra’s, so we have a situation where the state has started proceedings against two people for his murder although a death certificate has not yet been issued,” Filletti told the court.

Court expert Mario Scerri and the director of the Public Registry are to be called in during the next hearing to guide the court on the procedure of the issuing of the death certificate, and the court ordered this request to be communicated to the Attorney General.

At the end of today’s sitting, the court fined Galea, who is out on bail, €100 for contempt of court for failing to turn up, and also ordered the issuing of an arrest warrant to make sure he attends the next sitting.

The prosecution is being led by Police Inspectors Fabian Fleri and Chris Pullicino, and lawyers Franco Debono and Joe Giglio are appearing for the accused.