Victim 'not yet in a position to speak to the police'

Investigators are still waiting to speak to the 60-year-old man who has been in a critical condition in hospital since he was maimed by a parcel bomb two weeks ago, police sources said.

"Although Philip Cini can speak, he is still sedated. Anything he says while sedated will not be admissible as evidence, so we have not yet been in a position to speak to him officially," the sources said, adding that investigators were counting on his lucid input to try to solve the case.

Mr Cini has been in intensive care at Mater Dei Hospital since the explosion on December 22. Last Thursday, his condition improved slightly but he remained in a critical, yet stable, condition, the police said.

So far, investigations have hinged on forensic evidence but the police are hoping that Mr Cini's recovery would help shed light on the motive behind the case and, possibly, lead them to the perpetrator.

The police sources said a package was delivered to Mr Cini's Qormi home on the morning of the incident. Mr Cini's wife, Doris, found it behind the door and took it upstairs to the kitchen.

When Mr Cini arrived at about 1.30 p.m., he unwrapped the parcel - addressed "To Philip from Doris" - and saw that inside was a hollowed out book that acted as a casing for a contraption with a battery pack and switch. The parcel then blew up.

Mr Cini lost his left hand and had to undergo an operation because of serious injuries to the left side of his torso. His wife, who had warned him not to open the parcel, and their eight-year-old grandson escaped uninjured despite standing close to him.