A 53-year-old woman was yesterday charged with falsely accusing a member of the Prime Minister’s Office of taking her handbag.

Rita Forace, from Ħamrun, reported to the police on Monday that Silvio Vella, who is a local councillor, had snatched her handbag. The two live four doors away from each other.

Police Inspector Sarah Magri said in court there was evidence to prove that the crime did not happen and that Ms Forace was not in the area where she claimed to have been when the alleged crime supposedly took place.

Defence lawyer Patrick Valentino argued that his client should never have been arraigned under arrest because she was no career criminal and had a clean police record.

He said that it was not right that pressure was placed on the police for her to be charged just because the alleged victim worked at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli granted her bail against a personal guarantee of €200.

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