Forensic experts found no matches to murder victim Albert Brian Rosso’s genetic profile in small traces of blood lifted from places believed to be linked to the crime, a court heard on Wednesday.
Two experts in fingerprint testing and DNA analysis presented their joint report on Wednesday afternoon during the third day of the trial by jury of Anthony Bugeja and Piero Di Bartolo, two Marsaxlokk fishermen accused of the murder.
The victim, a medical technician, was last seen on the morning of October 10, 2005 when he walked out of his office at the San Lucjan Aquaculture Centre, telling colleagues that he was going to meet his business partner Bugeja.
He never returned to work and was reported missing later that evening by his wife who told police that her husband was being threatened by some Italian man over the fishing vessel.
The trawler, Desiree, was registered in Rosso’s name and was previously co-owned by a Sicilian named Sebastiano Lupo.
Relations with Lupo turned sour and his share was eventually transferred to Bugeja.
The police started to investigate after Rosso disappeared.
Blood could have been from fish
Forensic experts searched Bugeja’s residence and garage as well as a fishing vessel (luzzu). One of the samples they lifted tested positive as blood, explained court expert Jeffrey Hughes.
DNA expert Christopher Farrugia then tried to obtain a profile from a red toothbrush handed in for testing.
But three attempts proved unsuccessful.
They had no means of getting the victim’s DNA since his body was never recovered but the experts tried to match the blood sample to other samples taken from Rosso’s relatives.
The genetic profile resulting from that sample lifted from the search was not Rosso’s, confirmed Farrugia.
Di Bartolo’s lawyer, Roberto Montalto, asked whether the blood could have come from an animal source, such as fish.
That could neither be confirmed nor excluded, the expert replied.
'Extremely difficult search for victim'
Underwater searches, stretching from Benghajsa reef to Ġnejna, involved a two-day operation in 2005 and a second eight-day operation the following year.
“One hundred per cent coverage of the seabed is impossible,” said one witness tasked by the Civil Protection Department to scour the area with the camera he used when rendering services to fish farm operators or when searching for wartime relics at sea.
They searched the vast area in three parts, moving west to east, proceeding parallel to the reef.
It was an “extremely difficult search” since the target was small, the sea immense and the depth of the water ranging from 45 to 95 metres deep, explained Emi Farrugia.
Moreover, that area at Bengħajsa appeared to be a dumping site for construction material, with barges dumping rock from building works at the Freeport into the sea.
As he looked out for any anomalies on the seabed, Farrugia once caught sight of something suspicious.
The object appeared to be made of fabric. It was was torn and lying flat in the depths.
His suspicions were flagged to the Civil Protection Department.
“We checked that object and confirmed that it was rolled up fishing nets,” the other witness, Albert Tabone, intervened.
The trial continues.
AG lawyers Angele Vella and Andrea Zammit are prosecuting. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Franco Debono are counsel to Bugeja. Lawyer Roberto Montalto is counsel to Di Bartolo. Lawyer Stefano Filletti is appearing parte civile.