A 37-year-old man was arraigned this afternoon and charged with attempting to defraud the owners of a Rabat jewellery shop out of some €20,000.

Antoine Giscard Nyonga, a French citizen, appeared before Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberrras dressed in the suit and tie he was wearing when arrested.

Prosecuting officer Robert Said Sarreo explained that, a week before, two men described as having dark skin had approached the owners of the jewellery shop on the premise of making a deal and exchanging their gold for €30,000.

The owners had prepared the money and carefully wrapped it up in tin foil.

Unbeknownst to them, the two men had prepared a similar package filled with fake money. Midway through the deal, the two men said they got cold feet and handed the money back to the owners, who later opened it to realise that the pair had fled with the €30,000.