A courier charged with allegedly breaking into his employer’s office and helping himself to the cash drawer was granted bail after denying the allegations on Thursday.

Emanuel Sank, a 44-year-old Birkikara resident, was identified as the suspect who allegedly forced his way into his boss’s company office, unplugged the CCTV camera and then took cash from a desk drawer.

The alleged victim reported the suspected theft at the Birkirkara police station, claiming that on September 3 he had found the forced entry and some €825 missing.

CCTV footage showed a male suspect wearing a top, shorts, cap and flip-flops breaking into the office, looking twice at the desk, and then pulling out the wires of the CCTV camera, prosecuting Inspector Maria Francesca Calleja explained.

A week or so later, the alleged victim received a call from his employee.

“So you called the police…Now you’ll know who I am,” said the caller, identified as the defendant.

He had allegedly confronted his boss because he claimed that when police knocked at his home, his daughter was upset.

The suspect was subsequently told to go to the nearest police station where he was questioned.

On Thursday he was charged with aggravated theft, causing damage to third party property and knowingly suppressing the traces of a crime.

He was further charged with insulting and threatening his employer by misusing electronic communications equipment.

He pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution objected to the defendant’s request for bail since proceedings were still at an early stage, civilian witnesses were still to testify and also in view of the threat made over the phone.

Defence lawyer Mark Busuttil rebutted that the court was to assess whether the alleged threat was realistic or uttered in the heat of the moment.

Moreover, if the defendant were denied bail he would risk his job and that would complicate matters further.

After hearing submissions Magistrate Rachel Montebello upheld the request, warning the accused not to speak to the alleged victim or communicate with him in any manner.

He was to sign the bail book twice a week, to pay a deposit of €500 and bind himself under a personal guarantee of €3,000.

The court turned down the prosecution’s request for a protection order after observing that one of the bail conditions was explicitly for the accused not to communicate with or approach the alleged victim.