Updated 7.20 p.m.

The police have launched an inquiry after a man was mistakenly arraigned and accused of a hold-up following miscommunication between officers.

The man was arraigned on Wednesday and released on bail this evening after another man owed up to the crime, in which no one else was involved.

"The government is taking this matter very seriously and expects answers as quickly as possible," a government spokesman said.

Earlier, Opposition Home Affairs spokesman Jason Azzopardi said the actions by the police were irresponsible and unacceptable.

Lawyers representing Darryl Luke Borg, 27 of Birkirkara, filed an urgent request for his release from custody hours after Roderick Grech, 22 of Birkirkara was arraigned and pleaded guilty. The police backed the bail request.

The hold-up, at The Convenience Store in Birkirkara took place on Sunday.

Mr Borg was arraigned on Wednesday and was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty.

This morning, however, the police arraigned Roderick Grech, 22 of Birkirkara, who pleaded guilty and was condemned to a 12-month jail term suspended for four years and placed under a supervision order.

Inspector Elton Taliana told Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit that the first arraignment was made by the Criminal Investigation Department but it was in fact the accused Roderick Grech who had committed the crime.

He lamented that there was a lack of communication within the police force which led to this situation. The accused Roderick Grech had even handed over the balaclava and a toy plastic gun used in the hold-up, he said.

The CCTV footage clearly showed that the stature of the man which matched Grech's.

Defence lawyer Janica Camilleri asked the Magistrate to take into consideration that her client was young and had carried out the crime because had gambling debts to pay.

The court in handing down the suspended jail term also ordered Grech to pay back the money he had stolen.

Lawyers Joseph Gatt and David Camilleri shortly after filed the request for Mr Borg's release.

Magistrate Stafrace Zammit granted bail against a personal guarantee of €7,000 in line with procedure since the case has to be concluded before the Magistrate who had been appointed to the case. 

PN STATEMENT

In a statement, the Nationalist Party criticised the police force for what had happened, saying it was unacceptable and inconceivable in a supposedly serious police force that an innocent person who had nothing to do with a case was taken to court and kept in custody in violation of his rights.

This had happened at a time when those who were running the corps were more interested in dishing out more than 300 transfers, most of which were vindictive, the party said. The members of the police force had also been humiliated by being told to do work which was not their own. 

The party said the people expected the leadership of the police to assume responsibility for what was happening.

The statement was signed by Jason Azzopardi, spokesman for home affairs.