A man has been cleared of involvement in stealing a car from Marsa more than three years ago.

Clifford Camilleri, 23, from Swatar, Msida, was found not guilty of breaching a probation order and relapsing, after the court found that the prosecution provided no scientific evidence that the man was guilty of theft.

The court heard three police officers testify in court, saying they had intercepted the car that had been stolen. The accused was outside the vehicle filling it up with fuel, while another man who was initially co-accused with Mr Camilleri was sitting behind the steering wheel.

Although Mr Camilleri and the co-accused, Libyan national Salem Sahban Abbadi, had initially been charged together, the court had then decided to separate the legal proceedings against the two men.

The owner of the car had told the court that he had just bought the vehicle and he had asked another person to take it for a VRT.

He was then told that the car had been stolen and he had once seen it in Burmarrad.

It was being driven by a tall man with ginger hair whom he assumed was in his twenties.

The owner of the car said he had even spoken to the driver, but asked whether he knew the accused, he said: “The man I am speaking about is not here. I know that for certain because I spoke to him.”

The court also found that at no stage of the investigation had the accused given any hint of his possible involvement in the case.

The case was presided over by Magistrate Miriam Hayman.

Police Inspector Joseph Cordina prosecuted and Dr Jose Herrera appeared for Mr Camilleri.