Turnkey contractor charged with theft unable to pay bail deposit

A turnkey contractor accused of stealing aluminium window frames from a building site in his hometown has told a court that he didn’t have €500 for his bail deposit.

35 year-old Frankie Bugeja from St. Paul’s Bay was arraigned by Inspector Paula Ciantar this morning before magistrate Audrey Demicoli, charged with theft aggravated by means and value, criminal damage and handling stolen goods.

Bugeja, who told the court that he was a turnkey contractor, had been arrested after he tried to sell the stolen window frames to a scrap metal dealer, who recognised the manufacturer’s sticker and traced them back to the owner. The manufacturer had gone to inspect the windows while the accused was still at the dealer.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested bail.

Inspector Ciantar opposed the defence’s bail request on the grounds that he had effectively approached a witness. But lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar, appointed as legal aid to the accused, told the court that there was a difference between approaching a witness and simply happening to know who a witness is.

The accused was “more than happy” to abide by any bail conditions, said the lawyer, adding that the man had pets to take care of at his home.

The court granted Bugeja bail, ordering him not to approach witnesses directly or indirectly or communicate with them. He was also ordered to sign a bail book weekly and to provide a deposit of €500 and a personal guarantee of €3,500.

But the accused then told the court that he did not have the means to pay for his deposit. Neither did he have any family members who could help him. He was told to wait until the next sitting in his case, before a different magistrate, and raise the issue with that court.