Libyan charged with grievous injury to flatmate after political row

A fight between Libyan flatmates yesterday, ended up with both men facing charges.

Libyan Almalloshi Mohamad Abdolqasim, 25, was charged with grievously injuring a fellow countryman Walid Elawej with a set of keys outside the Social Security office in Sir Adrian Dingli Street in Sliema.

The accused, who resides in Balluta and is unemployed, had been sharing the flat with his girlfriend and the victim but had decided to move out due to “issues” with his flatmate Walid Elawj. He now lives in Zurrieq, said defence lawyer Roberto Montalto.

As is regularly the case in such incidents, the underlying cause appears to be sectarian in origin.

From the man's police statement, the fight started when the accused was asked to leave Walid's flat. The inspector said investigations revealed a possible political motive, related to the current unrest in Libya.

Montalto said his client had been attacked by the flatmate, but as the other man's injuries were certified to be slight, the police had decided not to arraign the aggressor under arrest. He requested bail for Abdolqasim.

Prosecuting police inspector Jonathan Ransley objected to bail for two reasons; first of all because the possible political motive meant that the accused might become involved in another fight and secondly because he feared that the accused would be hard to trace if released on bail. The Libyan's current address was a flat in Paceville, but had then moved in with Walid, before moving to Zurrieq.

Walid suffered scratches to his face in the altercation, which Montalto claimed had been an act of self-defence. “In self defence, he hit Walid in the face several times, while holding a set of keys.”

The accused had already moved to Zurrieq in order to avoid accidentally meeting the other man, said the defence, requesting bail. The prosecution objected and insisted on a temporary protection order being issued if the man is to be released on bail.

Magistrate Neville Camilleri acceded to the defence's request, granting Abdolqasim bail against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €10,000 on condition that he signs a bail book daily and observe a curfew. He was ordered not to make any contact whatsoever with his compatriot.