Four men have been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to a series of muggings at Pietà on Sunday.
William Kelly Harrison, 27, an unemployed Valletta resident, Priviledge Mupimhidzi, a 33-year-old Zimbabwe national who is currently homeless and unemployed, Ahmed Ali Salah Lawan, a 28-year-old Libyan national living at Żurrieq and also unemployed, and Deko Susanto, 30, an Indonesian national who works as a plasterer but is also currently homeless, were arraigned on Tuesday.
Prosecuting Inspectors Lydon Zammit explained how officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit patrolling Ħamrun on Sunday were asked for assistance in the vicinity of Sa Maison Gardens by a man saying that three men had assaulted him and tried to rob him.
The family of a 68-year-old man on Monday described how he was beaten by a gang of robbers who stopped him to ask for a cigarette.
Police on the trail of the three suspects soon arrested two of the men, Mupimhidzi and Lawan.
Just then, a teenager approached the policemen, reporting another similar incident and giving them a description of the third suspect.
Police later tracked down Harrison.
Investigators discovered that another mugging had taken place on the eve, allegedly involving the same three suspects.
During interrogations, investigators discovered that a fourth suspect was allegedly involved.
The foursome were arraigned on Tuesday, all pleading not guilty to the various muggings.
The first three co-accused were charged with a violent robbery on Sunday afternoon, another attempted robbery on the same day as well as another mugging on September 8.
Mupimhidzi, Harrison and Susanto were separately charged with another mugging at Jubilee Grove on Saturday afternoon, as well as the violent incident concerning the 68-year old Maltese victim which took place in the Sa Maison area on Sunday.
Mupimhidzi was separately charged with inflicting grievous injuries upon the alleged victim.
Harrison and Mupimhidzi were further charged with relapsing.
Lawyers for all four accused made no request for bail, given that none of the men had a fixed address.
Inspectors Lydon Zammit and Mario Xiberras prosecuted. Lawyers Mark Mifsud Cutajar, Josette Sultana and Graziella Tanti were legal aid counsel.