A 21-year-old man was yesterday remanded in custody after being charged with raping a woman and attempting to rape another two between March and this month, in Ta' Xbiex.

Mumin Trabulé, an Ivorian currently residing at the Ħal Far open centre for asylum seekers, denied the charges.

In the pleas on bail Police Inspector Carlo Ellul said Mr Trabulé was an illegal immigrant who had arrived in Malta two years ago with no identification and who did not have a permanent address.

He argued that the charges against him were serious so, granting him bail, would not be suitable.

Defence lawyer Mark Busuttil replied that Mr Trabulé should not be denied bail just because he was a foreigner. It was his right to be granted bail.

Inspector Ellul pointed out that Mr Trabulé had admitted, in his statement to the police, to trying to rape one of the women and on the day in question police officers had to break into the alleged apartment to help the woman. Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna took into consideration the severity of the charges and the fact that Mr Trabulé has no permanent residence, and remanded him in custody.

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