Air Malta clarifies Paulina Dembska mix-up: 'Original flight to Poland was missed'

Paulina Dembska's body failed to make it on a connecting flight from London to Warsaw, causing fresh anguish for her family who were told that the remains were somewhere in Heathrow.

Air Malta confirmed that Dembska's body was scheduled to be transferred to Warsaw on Thursday 3 February by a third-party handler with a non-Air Malta flight.

However, for reasons unknown, there was a delay between London and Poland. The remains were uplifted on a later flight from Heathrow and arrived in Warsaw on Friday morning.

A spokesperson for the family confirmed the incident and said that her funeral is being delayed. When the family asked about Dembska's remains, they were told that the body was somewhere in Heathrow, leading them to believe that the body went missing. 

The family fears that the body will miss the funeral on Saturday as her remains need to be transported to another part of Poland. 

The second sitting of the compilation of evidence against Abner Aquilina took place on Friday, but the accused could not be brought to court after he was readmitted to Mount Carmel Hospital. 

Stefano Filletti, representing the family in court, argued that Dembska's relatives needed closure and justice, insisting that there are no sufficient reasons for Abner Aquilina to be declared unfit for trial.

"We cannot be subject to the whims of the accused, who two days before his case is heard gets himself admitted to Mount Carmel Hospital," Filletti said.

READ ALSO | Dembska murder: Abner Aquilina threatened to use ‘demonic powers’ on doctors