A man has been denied bail and remanded in custody as Italian authorities seek his extradition to serve a prison sentence after he was found guilty of charges related to document forgery and trafficking. 

Tunisian national Ben Ali Hatem Samara, 51, was arraigned in front of magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo.

The police presented evidence that he was a wanted man in Italy, asking the court to comply with a European arrest warrant and consent to Hatem Samara’s extradition to Italy. 

Police Inspector Roderick Spiteri presented documents that included pictures and fingerprints of the accused that the Italian authorities sent to Maltese police. 

A report from the forensic unit confirmed that the man’s fingerprints taken in Malta matched those sent over from Italy, Spiteri said. 

The accused confirmed he knew why he was wanted by the Italian authorities.

However, when asked by the court to confirm his name and personal details, he refused to answer, exercising his right to silence. 

He further told the court that he did not give his consent to be extradited to Italy. 

Legal aid lawyer Martin Farrugia made a request for bail, saying that Samara is gainfully employed in Malta, has a fixed residence and holds bank accounts that tie him to the country. 

The prosecution objected. “The crimes he was found guilty of are extraditable offences and it seems that he has already absconded from Italy,” Spiteri said. 

“Had he committed the same things in Malta they would have also been very serious crimes and given the gravity of this we must strongly object to bail.”

 The court denied bail. The case is set to be heard on May 23.