A man who disappeared in 2015 and is believed to have been murdered had spoken to the then police commissioner about how he was being threatened by Sicilians he did not know, and how his former business partner was likely involved, a court heard on Tuesday.

Albert Brian Rosso was last seen on  October 10, 2005, and police believe he had an argument with fisherman Anthony Bugeja, and was shot dead, in the presence of another fisherman, Piero Di Bartolo. He was then placed in a sack and dumped at sea.

Bugeja and Di Bartolo on Monday started undergoing trial by jury for murder. 

Testifying in the trial, then police commissioner John Rizzo said he had advised Rosso not to travel to Sicily for the time being and to flag anything suspicious.

Then a week or so before the disappearance, Rizzo said Rosso called him mentioning a “notorious man” from Marsaxlokk who was seen in the company of a Sicilian man. Rosso’s suspicions fell on the two men who appeared to have struck up a friendship in the previous week.

Victim Albert Brian Rosso.

But when Rizzo later investigated that last bit of information, it turned out that the two men had been friends for a while and that was why they were seen together.

“I did not get to tell him [Rosso] that,” said Rizzo.

Police investigations, he said, included searches on fishing boats and residences.

Police also spoke to Rosso’s workmates who recalled how that October morning he had received a call from Bugeja, whom he went to meet, saying that he would be back. But he never did and all calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, Rizzo recalled that Rosso had told him about having filed some report to a Sicilian police officer about the threats he was facing.

Di Bartolo, in a purple tie, walks with his lawyer Roberto Montalto ahead of police officers on Tuesday. Photo: Jonathan Borg

When the trial continued after the lunch break, Andreina Fenech Farrugia, a former senior scientific officer who shared an office with the victim at San Luċjan aquaculture centre, recalled how that last day she had seen Rosso sitting at his desk, staring blankly at the computer monitor, head in his hands.

Farrugia could not recall many details, explaining that at the time of Rosso’s disappearance, she had supplied all information, still fresh in her mind, to the police.

'He was very worried'

“What I do recall is that he was very worried.”

Under further questioning, at times even by presiding judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera, the witness recalled Rosso telling her about “some woman who was calling him for money.”

The accused Anthony Bugeja flanked by lawyers Franco Debono and Arthur Azzopardi. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Rosso was in some negotiations about a fishing vessel, she said.

He was normally a “lively person” who chatted to all, but that morning when she got to the office at around 7:30am she found Rosso staring at the monitor “holding his head in his hands.”

Soon after he told her, “I’m going out.” But he did not say where and she did not ask.

The following day, their superior summoned them to inform them that the police were expected to speak to them because no one knew where Rosso was.

Former Fisheries Director General Anthony Gruppetta testified how he had received a call from the police asking whether they could check if Rosso had been locked in at his workplace.

Gruppetta had accompanied police to San Luċjan late that night, searched through the building but Rosso was nowhere to be found.

He had known Rosso for many years, Gruppetta said.

Besides his government job, Rosso had other business interests including a trawler’s licence registered in his name.

He had improved his vessel to meet EU licence requirements and bought the new Desiree from some Adriatic port, engaging an Italian captain with whom he was to share the profits.

However, relations with the captain eventually turned sour and Rosso began to negotiate with Bugeja to take over the captain’s part-ownership of the vessel. There was a big argument between Rosso and the Italian captain, whose name Gruppetta could not recall.

What he did recall was Rosso telling him that the Italian was “threatening to come back and burn his vessel.”

Just days before he went missing, Rosso had asked the director for leave to go to the police commissioner and around the same time, also told him that he was carrying a firearm around with him, the witness added.

The trial continues.

AG lawyers Angele Vella and Andrea Zammit are prosecuting.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Franco Debono are counsel to Bugeja.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto is counsel to Di Bartolo. Lawyer Stefano Filletti is appearing for the victim's family.