Man charged with violent robbery of elderly man

A 26-year-old man was arraigned in court on Friday and charged with violently robbing an elderly man in Ħamrun.

Farhan Adan Mohamed, who is unemployed and has no fixed residence in Malta, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. 

In addition to robbery, Mohamed is also faced charges of causing physical or mental suffering to an elderly person, causing slight injuries and living a life of vagrancy.

The prosecution said the 74-year-old victim was pushed and robbed of a wallet containing €1,000 in cash by the accused. 

The incident allegedly occurred on 27 February between 2pm and 3pm. 

The victim had allegedly been sitting on a bench speaking with the accused, who had approached him and started a conversation. The elderly man later began to feel uncomfortable and attempted to leave the area. After walking away, the alleged aggressor attacked him from behind and stole his wallet. 

Police said that CCTV footage showed the accused fleeing towards Pietà and then towards Marsa, where he was allegedly identified from his faceand the clothes he was wearing.

No request for bail was made at this stage and the man was remanded in custody. 

The prosecution was led by Inspectors Keith Rizzo and Kathleen Zerafa, together with lawyer Miryea Mifsud from the Office of the Attorney General. Lawyer Rachel Tua appeared for the accused.