A man who allegedly attacked two others with a knife on the streets of Paceville last Wednesday night has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to charges against him.

Mohammed Misrati, a 26-year old unemployed Tripoli-born national living in Swieqi,  pleaded not guilty to having committed the aggression, to having slightly injured the men and to having breached the peace.

Prosecuting inspector Leeroy Balzan Engerer explained how two men had reported the violent incident, which allegedly took place at around 3.30am in Dragonara Road, St.Julian’s.

The two, a 38-year old Ivorian living in Valletta and a 32-year old Libyan living in Gżira, told the police a man, later identified as the accused, had attacked them with a knife.

Some Transport Malta officials had also told police investigators that they had seen a “tall man throwing away a knife.”

The suspect was ultimately tracked down and arrested by the police, who also managed to retrieve the weapon allegedly used in the attack.

While going through the charges, presiding magistrate Aaron Bugeja pointed out that although the resulting injury had been certified as slight, it had been committed in such manner as to make the offence subject to a possible jail term varying between two to seven years.

When making submissions on bail, Inspector Balzan Engerer insisted that if bail were to be granted, the court was to impose “the strictest conditions,” pointing out further that the accused had been in Malta for just eight days and had sought asylum in the country.

One of the victims appears to have been a friend of the accused on Facebook but somehow had ended up injured, the inspector continued.

In view of the circumstances of the case, duty magistrate Aaron Bugeja turned down the request for bail.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel.