Arraignment halted after accused found to have tuberculosis

An arraignment was temporarily suspended on Friday after it emerged that a man due to face charges in connection with a home robbery was undergoing treatment for tuberculosis.

The 63-year-old accused appeared in Hall 14 wearing a face mask, prompting questions about his health.

The prosecuting inspector told the court he had only just been informed of the man's contagious medical condition.

It was then revealed that the accused had tuberculosis and was taking around 20 pills a day as part of his treatment.

"This is the second time prison authorities have failed to inform us about these issues," the presiding magistrate remarked.

A previous incident involved an accused person with scabies, whose condition had not been disclosed to the court or the prosecution.

Arraigned for a home robbery

MaltaToday is informed the man was being charged in connection with an alleged burglary in which €400 in cash and a mobile phone were stolen from a residence.

The man allegedly left his mobile phone at the house he robbed.

The arraignment was briefly suspended while the court sought guidance from the Superintendence of Public Health.

After learning of the diagnosis, the court ordered that the accused be held in isolation in the court's underlying holding cells until medical advice was received.

Magistrate Ann Marie Thake sought clarification through Court Services Agency CEO Vanessa Grech, who contacted the Superintendence of Public Health for advice on how to proceed.

When the other arraignments resumed, the magistrate informed the court that public health officials had advised there was no cause for concern.