Two men who first appeared in court in July 1992 over a theft that took place in August 1989 have been cleared of the charges after the court ruled that the prosecution had not managed to prove its case.

Emanuel Pace and Paul Sammut had been charged with stealing over €2,300 worth toys from a store in Marsa belonging to Tradeways Limited.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, who started hearing the case in February 2013 after the case bounced from one magistrate to another, said the prosecution had not managed to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that the toys had actually been stolen by the two men.

The police had started investigating the case after a company director filed a report in March 1990 that he had seen toys that his company imported for sale at the Marsaxlokk flea market.

Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha appeared for the two men.