Three Somali men, accused of beating and robbing Libyan flatmate, remanded in custody

Three Somali men in their thirties have been remanded in custody after they appeared in court charged with grievously injuring their Libyan flatmate and robbing him.

Police inspector Melvyn Camilleri told Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras that on Tuesday night officers at the Zurrieq police station received a report from victim Romedan Said Ali Taha.

Taha had gone to the police station to report a beating he had just suffered at the hands of his Somali flatmates, allegedly after he had refused to give them money.

Ahmed Sharif Haydar Issa, 32, Mahamed Hassan Muhudin, 30 and Islan Abukar Abdow, 36, all of whom are unemployed, pleaded not guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm, aggravated theft and relapsing before Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras.

The court was told how the victim had dashed out of the police station upon seeing his flatmates approaching. He had later explained to the police that the Somalis had warned him not to go to the police.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace, legal aid to the accused, requested bail for the men, but this was objected to by the prosecution, on the grounds that the victim resided at the same address as the men accused. Inspector Camilleri told the court that the Libyan man was still in shock, two days after the incident.

The court turned down the request for bail and ordered the men be remanded in custody.