Two men charged with theft from mini-market

Two men were arraigned in court on Friday after being accused of stealing food items from a Gżira convenience store.

The incident took place at around midday on 28 August, when the pair entered the store. The shop assistant, who followed them into the aisles after becoming suspicious, later told police that one of the men dropped some items on the floor while the other was seen hiding goods in his trousers.

Despite being asked to return the items, both men allegedly attempted to leave the store. They were arrested by the police around 30 minutes later. CCTV footage was said to have captured the incident.

Prosecutors said that a can of sardines, a bottle of oil and other food products were among the stolen items.

Abdell Raouf Mohfoudi Ali Hassan, 43, who resides in Valletta, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defence argued that his client was not involved in the theft but had only picked items up from the floor.

The court released him on bail under conditions, including a nightly curfew, a €200 deposit and a €3,000 personal guarantee. He was also ordered to sign at the Valletta police station three times a week and to stay away from the shop.

The other man, 42-year-old Rami Abidi, pleaded guilty and confirmed his admission in court. The defence described the case as a simple theft and pointed out that Abidi had cooperated fully with the police. He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for one year.

The accused were represented by lawyer Noel Bianco, with Inspector Elton Buckingham prosecuting.

Magistrate Leonard Caruana presided over the case.