The police are pressing charges against a landlord who threatened to kill one of his tenants before shutting off his water and electricity supply, a union said on Monday. 

Aleksandar Vukoje’s water and electricity supply has also been restored, Solidarjetà said in a statement. It said the case is expected to be heard in court in September.

When contacted, Vukoje said he felt things were “going in the right direction” while hoping for a resolution as soon as possible.

Last month, Vukoje was forced to call the police after his landlord entered the property and threatened to “slit your throat” in a dispute over a rental contract, before cutting off his water and electricity a few days later.

He had claimed matters were made worse when the police officer on duty at St Julian’s police station neglected to file a report, forcing him to return a few days later to report the incident to another officer.

The shocking incident prompted a solidarity demonstration by Solidarjetà, who are assisting the 37-year-old Serbian national and pledged to cover his legal costs.

The union on Monday said the restoration of utilities to Vukoje’s apartment had only been made possible “because of the solidarity shown by the public and by union members".

The union said the incident involving the landlord and the subsequent cutting off of utilities showed how “precarious tenants' lives are in Malta... with the state unable or unwilling to intervene.”

It demanded the law be changed to allow tenants to restore access to utilities “without legal repercussions”.

Vukoje told Times of Malta his water and electricity supply was restored on Friday: “It feels amazing, I can’t describe it; after two weeks I can finally live a normal life again".

Asked if he still intended to stay at the apartment with the court case looming, he reiterated his intention to stay until the end of his contract which automatically renewed earlier this year. But he admitted he still did not feel fully comfortable at home.

“It’s a different feeling, the worry is still there... it’s not like before,” he said.

Questions sent to the police two weeks ago remain unanswered at the time of writing.