A man filmed being kicked and beaten while face-down in Paceville has been charged in connection with the New Year’s Eve incident.

Ahmed Adam Idriss Albarjo, a 30-year-old Sudanese national living in Żejtun, pleaded not guilty to causing one of his alleged aggressors slight injuries through the use of a sharp or pointed instrument.

His alleged victim was Riald Gragjevi, a 21-year-old Albanian bouncer who was arraigned on Thursday. Another bouncer, Ryan Zammit, was also charged on Friday with injuring Albarjo.

Both bouncers were denied bail and are being kept in police custody.

The incident made headlines after an eyewitness’ video of the bouncers beating Albarjo went viral. Lovin Malta subsequently published another video shot moments before the assault, in which Albarjo pleaded with police officers in Paceville to accompany him to speak to the bouncers, who he claimed had assaulted him.

When police officers refused to do so, he marched back to the club and said he would be confronting them himself.

Albarjo told Lovin Malta that he had thrown a piece of glass towards the bouncers in self-defence. One of the bouncers, Gragjevi, has argued that he hit Albarjo in self-defence after the former threw a bottle at him.

Albarjo, who was also charged with wilful breach of public peace, was also denied bail when he was arraigned in court on Saturday morning.

His defence lawyer argued that the accused suffered a brutal beating after being denied entry at the club. He had already suffered slight injuries when filmed launching a bottle. That footage was shared on social media, said the accused's lawyer, Roberta Bonello.

Bail was objected to by the prosecutor and that objection was upheld by the court, observing that this was a complicated case and various witnesses were still to testify.

Inspector Brian Xuereb prosecuted. Lawyer Roberta Bonello was defence counsel. Lawyers Shazoo Ghaznavi and Jessica Formosa appeared parte civile.

The court was presided over by Magistrate Yana Mucallef Stafrace.