Police investigating a gruesome Santa Luċija murder are still trying to secure the extradition of the prime suspect, which they say is being complicated by the coronavirus outbreak. 

A 37-year-old man wanted by the police in connection with the murder of Victor McKeon earlier this month was tracked down and arrested in Morocco days after the body was discovered.

However, investigators say that due to the COVID-19 pandemic the process of getting the suspect back to Malta has become trickier, with courts here, and particularly in Morocco, having ground to a halt. 

The grounding of flights has also complicated matters.

“We are working on this, but it is difficult because of the current situation with the virus,” a police source said.

“What is certain is that eventually this man will have to be brought to Malta one way or another.”

Sources said the suspect managed to flee the country before the body was discovered on March 17.

He was arrested in Casablanca two days after the victim’s badly decomposed body was found wrapped in a garbage bag in his apartment bathroom in Misraħ Durrel.

The suspect, a Moroccan, is believed to have been sharing the apartment with the victim. Investigators say they have not yet established a clear motive for the murder, but they have one plausible theory which they are exploring. 

They say they will have a clear picture of the murder once the suspect is brought in for interrogation.  

The alarm over the murder had been raised by residents who reported a foul smell coming from the apartment. The discovery was made three to four days after the crime had taken place.