Two lawyers have a filed a judicial protest against the Police Commissioner claiming that a client was remanded in custody after they were informed of her arraignment just minutes in advance and so could not make it on time. Lawyers Josè Herrera and Veronique Dalli said that at about 6 p.m. on Thursday, Police Inspector Joseph Agius informed them that Maria Magdalena Sultana would be arraigned in 10 minutes' time. Ms Sultana stands accused of defrauding another person of €1,500.

Dr Dalli immediately telephoned Dr Herrera who dropped everything and went to court to represent the woman. On arrival he found that the arraignment was over and Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera had remanded his client in custody.

It was unacceptable that a police inspector treated the fundamental rights of an accused person in a nonchalant way, which, ultimately, denied her a fair hearing, the lawyers held.

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