It could take up to three or four weeks to extradite to Malta the third suspect behind the double murder in Sliema who was arrested in Spain on Sunday, investigators believe.
Matters could move more swiftly if the man, a Danish national, was to accept Malta’s request for his extradition to face charges in connection with his alleged involvement in the cold-blooded murder of two men in their home in Locker Street.
The man is believed to have fled the island last Friday, when he realised that the police investigating the murder of Christian Pandolfino and his partner Ivor Maciejowski on August 18 were closing in on him.
He was arrested by Spanish police inside a hotel in the southwestern city of Cadiz in a joint operation between the Maltese and Spanish police and through the help of Interpol, which was yesterday described by police sources as “invaluable”.
CCTV footage from the crime scene showed three men entering the house and emerging just four minutes later. Gold belonging to the two was missing and investigators have said they believe the murders were theft related.
How did suspect flee country when investigators were aware of his identity?
Using still images from the footage, the police first arrested Daniel Muka, a 25-year-old Albanian man, and the second suspect Macedonian Viktor Dragomanski.
The police did not answer questions sent yesterday about how the third suspect managed to flee the country when investigators were aware of his identity and were in possession of a still image from CCTV footage.
Sources said the Maltese authorities kick-started the judicial process to bring the Danish man back to Malta and face justice through a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) and an extradition request.
Through an EAW, police in one jurisdiction can apply for a person in another EU country to be arrested on their behalf, and then sent back to a country where they face prosecution or have been sentenced to jail.
An EAW is a judicial procedure intended to make it harder for a person wanted for a crime in a European Union member state to evade justice by moving country.
The procedure is in force across all European Union member states and they cannot refuse to surrender their own nationals.