Suspected rapist arraigned

It had just struck midnight last night when the Magistrates' Court convened with urgency to hear a 21-year-old man of Arab origin charged with the rape of a 55-year-old Floriana woman.

Jamal Badawi pleaded not guilty to the rape and illegal arrest of the woman in Floriana on Sunday week, violently and indecently assaulting her, offending public morals, seriously injuring her and carrying an air pistol without a licence.

He arrived in court flanked by six uniformed policemen and two in plain clothes, signalling that police had prepared themselves for any eventuality. But there were only a few stragglers who greeted him with muttered insults and saw him off with catcalls and shouts.

The obvious sticking point was that Badawi was not Ashref Mohamed Ahmed Aroud, the man whose photograph was released by the police in connection with the rape investigation.

Aroud had been deported from Malta in November last year after he pleaded guilty to theft, assault, the illegal possession of a knife and being in Malta illegally.

He was given an 18-month jail term suspended for three years and was deported.

There is a striking resemblance between Badawi and the man in the police photo.

Police Inspectors Louise Calleja and Christopher Pullicino prosecuted.

Badawi appeared unrepresented and was remanded in custody.