A Libyan man was remanded in custody today after pleading not guilty to punching an undercover police officer who caught him stealing a mobile phone from a woman's handbag at a Paceville night club.
Mugzazi Khaled, 28, from Msida, denied the theft of a Samsung mobile phone in the early hours of Sunday.
Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras heard police inspector Elton Taliana explain how the man was seen stealing the mobile phone by an undercover police officer at 3am on Sunday. When the constable approached him and identified himself as a police officer, Mr Khaled punched him and escaped. The officer was slightly injured.
Mr Khaled pleaded not guilty to the theft, to slightly injuring the officer and damaging his clothes and to resisting the police.
He did not request bail and was remanded in custody. Lawyer Abigail Bugeja was defence counsel.