Tunisian man held on theft, fraud and forgery charges

Mahmoud Moghrabi, who faced 18 charges in total, was denied bail.

Moghrabi did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody
Moghrabi did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody

A 30 year old Pieta resident has been remanded in custody after being arraigned in court over theft, fraud and forgery charges.

The man, Tunisian Mahmoud Moghrabi was arraigned before magistrate Nadine Lia this morning and accused of stealing designer clothing worth over €2,300 from a shop in Iklin, amongst other charges.

In total, Moghrabi was accused of 18 offences, including the theft of an electric scooter worth over €2,300 which had been parked in San Gwann. He was also accused of stealing a chequebook and using it to purchase items from a perfumery in Valletta after forging the owner’s signature.

Moghrabi’s charge sheet also lists a theft of documents and other items from a car in Sliema on the night of March 9, handling stolen goods and defrauding a hotel in St. Julians.

This was far from Moghrabi’s first brush with the law. He has previously been charged with theft from a number of establishments and causing criminal damage, as well as falsifying signatures on stolen cheques.

Moghrabi was also accused of committing the offences whilst under a probation order handed down in September 2019, recidivism and living an idle and vagrant life.

He was arrested in a residence in Gzira. A search of the property and his car returned several stolen items.

In the dock Moghrabi did not enter a plea and so a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf. He was not granted bail.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi was defence counsel.  Inspectors Andrew Agius, Michael Vella and Leeroy Balzan Engerer prosecute.