A 29-year-old man has been charged with robbing a St Paul's Bay betting shop.

Elson Bajrami, 29 and living in St Paul's Bay, is alleged to have held up a store employee using a knife and then escaped with cash he stole from the shop. A manhunt ensued, and police eventually tracked him down and arrested him. 

Bajrami, who is an Albanian national, told the court that he was unemployed and had been fired from his previous job. 

He pleaded not guilty to aggravated theft,  unlawfully holding the victim against his will, carrying a knife without a police licence and breaching bail. 

He was remanded in custody after his lawyer David Bonello made no request for bail. 

Attorney General lawyer Brandon Bonnici prosecuted together with Inspectors Lydon Zammit, Stephen Gulia and Warren Galea.