A man was remanded in custody on Thursday after pleading guilty to the theft of scaffolding from a Valletta construction site. 

The police told the court that the man was arrested after he was recognised through CCTV footage of nearby establishments stealing the structure in the dead of the night. 

Inspector Gabriel Micallef arraigned Desmond Joseph Agius, 56, from Sliema before Magistrate Ian Farrugia.

The inspector said the investigation into the January 3 theft began when a report was filed with the police who then reviewed CCTV footage and recognised Agius. 

After an arrest warrant was issued, Agius was arrested and admitted to stealing the structure, explaining that he had sold the metal to a scrapyard as scrap metal. The scaffolding was worth around €1,400.

Agius insisted in court on not wanting a lawyer to represent him and pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.

His request to be released on bail was turned down by the court after it heard the prosecution stating that there were civilian witnesses who still had to testify. 

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