Four people have been taken to court for allegedly inciting a man to commit suicide, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has said in parliament.

He was replying to a question by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, who asked about the number of arraignments since November 1 for incitement to commit suicide.

The arraignments are understood to refer to a case revealed by Times of Malta on November 19 when onlookers urged a man to jump from the edge of a Valletta bastion as police desperately tried to de-escalate the situation.  

Some people jeering and egging him on. One woman shouted "Hurry up and do it so we can get back to work, "while another person said: "it will be embarrassing if you don’t jump now”. 

After more than two hours, police negotiators were able to persuade the agitated man to move to safety and he was taken to hospital.

The police subsequently confirmed on December 2 that four people were to be charged in connection with the incident.