Three men arrested by the police in Sliema on Saturday evening, two of them on a rooftop, were remanded in custody after being charged with the attempted burglary of a house in St Domenic Street.
Their attempt was apparently foiled after dogs started barking, rousing the suspicions of neighbours, who noticed a car parked on the corner with a man waiting in it and then spotted two men on a rooftop.
The police were called in and immediately apprehended 26-year-old Matthew Zahra in the car. They carried out a search of houses and eventually caught Massimo Caruana and Joseph Zammit, both 31, on a roof. During the late arraignment on Monday, the three men, all from Valletta, pleaded not guilty. They also denied relapsing.
Magistrate Marseann Farrugia remanded them in custody.
Police Inspectors Chris Pullicino and Anna Marie Micallef prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono, Jose Herrera, Veronique Dalli and Kathleen Grima appeared for the men.