Italian men charged with refusing to submit to police search

An Italian man has been handed a suspended sentence for refusing to submit to a police search, while his friend was released on bail after denying charges of violently resisting officers.

Inspector Nikolai Sant arraigned Guiseppe Di Nunno and Vito Lorusso before magistrate Monica Vella this morning, accusing them of insulting or threatening police officers, breaching the peace and disobeying legitimate orders in St. Julians on October 10.

Di Nunno alone was also charged with violently resisting a public official acting in the line of duty.

Inspector Sant explained how the men had been stopped by police at St George’s Bay in St. Julians, on suspicion of drug possession. But when the officers attempted to search the men, they refused, arguing and, allegedly in the case of Di Nunno, eventually physically resisting the officers.

Di Nunno pleaded not guilty and was released on bail against a deposit of €1000.

Lorusso pleaded guilty and was fined €2500 and handed a 6 month prison sentence, suspended for 2 years.

Lawyers Franco Debono Amadeus Cachia appeared for Di Nunno.

Lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar was defence counsel to Lorusso.