A drunken man who caused a disturbance at the Suq in Valletta and later threatened the police with an iron bar, was remanded in custody on Friday.

Nigerian national Osarumwense Izekor, 33, had police rushing to the Valletta market on Wednesday evening following a report of an apparently drunken man who was causing some commotion at the site.

Upon spotting the officers, the man had allegedly dashed off towards a construction site in Old Theatre Street where he worked.

When police caught up with him, Mr Izekor had allegedly grabbed an iron bar and threatened the officers, one of whom was injured in the scuffle to arrest him. 

On Friday morning,  Mr Izekor was charged with violently resisting arrest, causing bodily harm to a police officer, threatening officers, breaching the peace and leading an idle and vagrant life. He was further charged with being drunk in public.

The now-sober man pleaded not guilty, telling duty magistrate Ian Farrugia that he had been drunk and dancing at the time, but had no recollection whatsoever of the police at the time of the alleged incident.

No request for bail was made since he had no fixed address and reportedly lived at the construction site.

Inspector Alfredo Mangion prosecuted. Lawyer Ishmael Psaila was legal aid counsel.