Two Libyan men who share a room at the Hal Far Open Centre have been found guilty of aggravated theft of €100 from a co-national at the Valletta bus terminus last December.

In view of his several brushes with the law, Ali Muftah, 23, was jailed for a year and had a one-year suspended sentence converted into an effective jail term.

His accomplice, Morat Abdikadir Mohammed Naswan, 24, was handed a two-year jail term suspended for four years since he was a first-time offender and despite having a more active role in the theft.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja heard how the pair attacked a Libyan national while was walking through City Gate at 4pm last December 15. As they threatened him with a knife, they illegally arrested him and made off with €100 in cash.

Mr Muftah is due to appear before a different magistrate on Tuesday to be sentenced for yet another theft of a bagful of items from Hugo's Terrace in Paceville.

When he appeared in court earlier this week, Mr Muftah refused the assistance of a lawyer and insisted on pleading guilty to the charges brought against him.