Ramzi is currently out on bail for a multitude of crimes that include murder, attempted murder and theft. Ramzi is currently obliged to sign the bail book at a police station in Qormi and investigators are fearing that he could have now fled the island. 

Sources close to the investigation told Lovin Malta that while there is no official record of Ramzi’s departure from the island, there are concerns that he could have bypassed Malta’s security checks to leave the country. 

It would present a resounding failure of Malta’s authorities with Ramzi yet to face trial for the extremely serious charges he has been accused of.

However, it will not be the first time that Ramzi fled a country to avoid prosecution with sources claiming that he was also wanted for an unspecified crime in Libya before coming to Malta. 

Ramzi will also not be the first suspected criminal to flee Malta undetected. Ryan Schembri notably escaped Malta by boarding a ferry to Sicily before settling in the UAE and then Scotland.

Meanwhile, police have been under intense criticism for the failures in pursuing EAWs in both Schembri and Iosif Galea’s cases.

Ramzi’s history with crime dates back to 2016 when he was charged with attempted murder following a fight with bouncers in which he brandished a sword. He was released on bail for the case, which is ongoing. 

He was back in court in December 2017 over charges of aggravated theft, cocaine possession and breaching his bail conditions, but was once again released on bail while a verdict is yet to be reached. 

In 2018 Ramzi’s crimes escalated and he was charged with beating to death Mahmoud Elmejdi in Ħamrun, as well as holding another two against their will and threatening to kill them. Ramzi was also released on bail in this case, which is also yet to be concluded.

A year later, Ramzi was charged with two separate cases in the same month, which included several thefts and possession of illegal weapons. 

Despite breaching his bail conditions numerous times, Ramzi was also granted bail in this case and ordered to sign the bail book at the police station in Qormi. 

The next two years were relatively quiet, but he found himself in the news once again after he was linked to the high-profile murder of Mario Farrugia but was released without charge pending investigation.

The manhunt for Ramzi is a reminder of Malta’s abysmal court system, which sees scores of alleged criminals walk free on bail due to massive delays.

It has had fatal consequences, as seen in Ramzi’s case and that of Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski, with main suspect Daniel Muka out on bail at the time of the murder.

Andrew Mangion, the man charged with murdering his estranged partner Eleanor Mangion Walker in 2016, was even let out on bail for a violent robbery he committed while out on bail for the murder.

Delays in Malta’s courts are a major issue plaguing the country. While figures for the length of criminal cases are not immediately available, a 2020 EU study of Malta’s courts found that its delays are some of the longest in Europe.

Without a bill of indictment, the presumption of innocence prevents any person from being held against their will for such an extended period, no matter the crime.

The Maltese courts have set this limit at 20 months. However, never-ending delays in Malta’s poor judicial system mean that many criminals are able to walk out of prison pending their drawn-out cases.

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