A man, who told police that he had been stabbed with a knife during an argument admitted that he had made a false report when he was arraigned on Thursday. 

That report had triggered separate charges against Libyan national Husam Saleh Belgasem Shalgom who on Tuesday was arraigned before duty Magistrate Joseph Mifsud, pleading not guilty to his alleged involvement in the violent incident which took place on July 1 in Msida Road, Gżira.

Police had subsequently received a report from Mousa Sulayman Mousay Bin Husayn, 31, also from Libya who claimed that he had been stabbed during the violent argument, naming Shalgom as the alleged aggressor. 

However, when questioned by the police, Shalgom protested his innocence, giving a very different version of events. 

Investigators dug deeper and looked more closely at CCTV footage retrieved from the alleged incident scene. 

CCTV showed no knife

Although Husayn insisted that the weapon used in the attack was rather long, indicating that it covered the length between his elbow and fingers, police could make out no knife even when they zoomed in on the footage. 

Police confronted Husayn with that footage and asked whether he was lying. 

That was when the man admitted that his original version was not true, telling police that he was willing “to come clean.” 

From then on, Husayn cooperated, explained Inspector Jonathan Ransley who handled his prosecution today, charging the man with calumnious accusation, wilful breach of public peace and insulting and threatening Shalgom. 

Upon his admission, the prosecution informed the court that it was not insisting on an effective term of imprisonment, adding that ultimately Husayn would ultimately testify in the case against Shalgom so that justice might be served. 

Lawyer Franco Debono, who represented Shalgom, drew the court’s attention to the fact that his client might have suffered far greater prejudice had the court on Tuesday not upheld his request for bail. 

A request for bail was not objected to by the prosecution and the court, presided over by Magistrate Abigail Critien, granted Husayn bail against a personal guarantee of €2,000, daily signing of the bail book, under a curfew between 7pm and 7am and under strict order of not approaching prosecution witnesses. 

The court also issued a Protection Order in favour of Shalgom.

The case was put off for judgment next week. 

Inspector Jonathan Ransley prosecuted. Lawyer Tiziana Micallef was defence counsel. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared parte civile.