Arraigned over hoax bomb threats

Two hoax bomb threats at the law courts were made by a man who wanted to postpone his scheduled court sittings, a magistrate heard yesterday.

Carlos Falzon, 24, is pleading not guilty to making the hoax phone calls to police headquarters in Floriana from a phone booth opposite the law courts in Valletta on December 10 and on Wednesday.

Police Inspector James Grech explained the two phone calls, which were recorded, were made on the days Mr Falzon had to appear in court.

“On Wednesday, only four cases were being heard in the appeals court, including one on the bail conditions Mr Falzon breached,” he said.

Mr Falzon, from Żejtun, also pleaded not guilty to filing a false report and misusing telecommunications equipment.

He was also charged with committing a crime during the operative term of a suspended sentence, breaching two separate bail conditions and relapsing.

Mr Grech said Mr Falzon’s girlfriend and cousin heard the recordings of the bomb threats and said he was not with them when these were made.

“Although he refused to give us a statement, he got angry when we told him his girlfriend and cousin were going to give us statements. He said: ‘Now I’ll make them eat their statements’,” the prosecuting officer said.

“It’s not true,” Mr Falzon said before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli warned him to remain quiet.

Defence lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace argued his client was only charged with two hoax phone calls. “We have been facing the scourge of bomb threats for years. This is not something that started happening these past two days,” he said. “We have to forget the previous ones.”

He requested bail but the prosecution objected. “He is not trustworthy and still has other pending cases in court,” Mr Grech said.

Magistrate Demicoli refused bail and remanded Mr Falzon in custody.