A man identified through footage as the person who assaulted a woman in Floriana over two months ago has remanded in custody upon arraignment on Tuesday. 

On October 29 a woman had turned up at the Valletta police station to report that she had been assaulted by a stranger 

The man had allegedly crept up from behind and assaulted her, causing her slight injuries. 

A manhunt for the suspect kicked off and police gathered CCTV footage from the alleged crime scene. The suspect who spotted in Sliema on Monday. 

The man’s identity was unknown but the image matched, explained Inspector Gabriel Micallef who pressed charges against Jumaa Ahmed, a 32-year-old construction worker from Sudan. 

The man was charged with causing the victim slight injuries, assaulting her and breaching the public peace. 

After hearing the prosecution’s account of events leading up to the arrest, the court, presided over by Magistrate Abigail Critien, declared that the arrest was valid. 

His legal aid lawyer Martin Farrugia requested bail but the prosecution objected, arguing that the accused’s address was at Ħal Far Open Centre.

Thecentre was no fixed address and Ahmed was anyways currently reported missing from the centre, prosecution added.

The defence countered that there was no evidence to support this, prompting the inspector to point out that he had made his argument on oath.

Detention was the exception to the rule, pressed on Farrugia, arguing that the exception was to be based on law and evidence. 

Evidence was already in police possession and thus there was no real fear of tampering. 

Moreover, the accused had an untainted criminal record.

However the court turned down the request on the grounds that there was a real fear of tampering with evidence. 

Inspector Jeffrey Rizzo also prosecuted.