Man charged over false ‘kidnap’ report released on bail after three months in custody

A man charged in connection with a fake kidnap report last December has been granted bail after spending the last three months in custody.

Glenn Busuttil, 44, from Attard is pleading not guilty to charges of fabricating false evidence, breaching a court-imposed treatment order and recidivism. Busuttil, who had previously been sentenced to prison in 2019 for drug trafficking, had not requested bail during his arraignment, as he required hospitalisation for several health conditions.

He was subsequently discharged from hospital and was detained in preventive custody at Corradino Prison.

He was the fourth person to be charged in connection with the false report. The court had previously heard the prosecuting police inspector Stephen Gulia explain how the Corradino Correctional Facility’s spiritual director had contacted the police after being called up by Mohammed Tahmasebi Ghareb Shiran, who told the priest that he had been kidnapped. 

Some 50 police officers had been involved in the 24-hour nationwide search that ensued, eventually finding the ‘kidnapped’ man at a Gzira apartment owned by Jonathan Abela, who was later arraigned, together with Sarah Zammit, for their part in the fake abduction.

The police discovered that they had been using drugs together at the flat when they got the idea to stage a kidnap. Iranian national Mohammad Tahmasebi Ghareb Shiran, 26, was jailed for nine months  upon admitting to having fabricated the story in an attempt to get money for drugs.

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In a decree handed down on Wednesday, Magistrate Monica Vella granted Busuttil bail against a €500 deposit and a €4,000 personal guarantee. He was also placed under a supervision order.

Lawyer Ishmael Psaila represented Busuttil in the proceedings.