Rape suspect rearrested after attempted escape in Valletta
Man fled police custody hours after being remanded over rape charges
Updated 6.09pm
A man who escaped police custody after being arraigned on rape charges was sent to prison on Friday.
Ashraf Elshenawy, a 28-year-old Egyptian who is married and lives in Naxxar, was first arrested and arraigned on Thursday on charges of raping a woman with whom he was allegedly having an affair. He is pleading not guilty to the charges of rape.
The court denied him bail on Thursday but, before he could be processed at Corradino Correctional Facility, he escaped police custody.
The court heard on Friday that Elshenawy had escaped from the custody of a police constable after his request for bail was denied.
Police said he escaped while in Valletta sometime around 3.45pm. During that time, access points to and from the capital were closed as police searched for him.
He was caught at 9.17pm. Police said he resisted arrest and again tried to escape custody before he was eventually detained. After his arrest, Elshenawy said he felt unwell and was taken to hospital.
He was taken back to court on Friday and accused of escaping custody, disobeying police orders, breaching the peace and running through the streets and squares of Valletta.
However, defence lawyer Nicholas Mifsud raised a legal issue, arguing that the relevant law refers to prisoners, while Elshenawy had not yet officially been admitted to prison.
Mifsud clarified he was not suggesting the police had acted improperly or done anything wrong when Elshenawy escaped. In fact, he defended their actions in court. However, he noted that the accused’s ticket of admission had not yet been registered at the prison.
Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia appeared uncertain about how to proceed and briefly adjourned the sitting to examine the law.
When the sitting resumed, the magistrate denied Elshenawy bail and ordered that his transfer to prison.
The court will decide how to proceed on the legal issue raised by the defence during the next sitting.
Elshenawy was represented by defence lawyer Nicholas Mifsud.
Inspectors Ryan Vella and Pierguido Saliba prosecuted.