The judge meant to preside over the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder trial has recused himself, MaltaToday reports, highlighting that the reasons given for this recusal are not known.

The task will now fall to Judge Edwina Grima, who will preside over the case. No date has yet been set for the jury trial of George and Alfred Degiorgio, accused of assassinating Caruana Galizia almost two years ago on 16 October, 2017, Maltatoday also adds.

On 16 July of this year, the three were formally charged with the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, 21 months to the day since she was killed in a car-bomb near her home.

The compilation of evidence against the three had been ongoing since December 2017, when they were arrested in a raid in Marsa. The three accused would have been eligible for release on bail in August had they not been charged as local law states that a bill of indictment must be served within 20 months of facing charges.