Man arrested while trying to board flight with Tallinja card, court told

A man who tried to escape from the police while still handcuffed to a bench, following his arrest at the airport yesterday morning, has been remanded in custody.

Fadhi Husein, 22, an asylum seeker from Somalia, was arraigned before Magistrate Marseanne Farrugia on Monday by Inspector Roxanne Tabone. He was charged with entering a restricted area of the airport without authorisation, escaping from police custody, damaging airport property and disobeying legitimate police orders.

Inspector Tabone explained that yesterday morning at around 8am, Husein had been taken into custody by the police after sneaking through a turnstile and trying to board a flight using, of all things, his Tallinja card. 

Officers had handcuffed the suspect to a bench as they waited for him to be picked up and taken to a holding cell. But at one point, Husein had suddenly yanked the airport bench off its mount and tried to make a run for it, causing damages costing around €100 in the process.

Husein is understood to have not cooperated with the police after his arrest, allegedly also giving them false information.

Husein pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in custody.