Two men today went on trial for the murder of 20 year-old Sion Grech in Marsa in 2005.

Mr. Justice Aaron Bugeja is presiding over the trial by jury of Ismael Habesh, 51 from Libya and Faical Mahouachi, 55, from Tunisia.

Grech, a transgender woman whose birthname was Simon, had been found dead in a field two weeks after she had disappeared. An autopsy established that the victim had been stabbed 17 times.

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Ishmael Psaila are defence counsel to Mahouachi, while lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace is defending Habesh.

Lawyer Roberto Montaldo is appearing as parte civile for the Grech family.