A man was shot dead in the vicinity of San Blas, limits of Zebbug, at around 9.40pm last night, the police said.

The man, Raymond Caruana, 53, was killed with a fully automatic rifle as he got into his car after leaving a farmhouse he owned. His girlfriend was inside the farmhouse.

The police said that it was informed that a shooting had taken place in Buskett Road, limits of Zebbug.

The body, which had multiple gunshot wounds, was found behind the car, a Jeep Wrangler.

When the police arrived, the car was still switched on and the wipers operating.

Mr Caruana was known to the police and had been one of two men accused of attempting to bribe the late judge Ray Pace.

The police are investigatinjg while a magisterial inquiry is under way.