Two men were granted bail on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to computer misuse and altering third-party information on ID Malta's work permit system.
Bangladeshi nationals Raad Raiyyan Karim, 23, and Hossain MD Tanvir, 26, were arraigned under arrest after the police tracked them down as the suspects behind a report by the alleged victim some months ago.
The man had claimed that someone accessed his phone and altered his details on the ID Malta single permit system.
Subsequent checks at ID Malta directed the police towards the two suspects, who live in Birkirkara and have a permit to work in Malta.
On Tuesday, both were charged with computer misuse, unauthorised alteration of data as well as unauthorised access to another person’s password, username, email address or other means of identification information.
They pleaded not guilty.
When making submissions on bail, defence lawyer Franco Debono underlined the fact that both lived and worked in Malta and had a fixed address.
Tanvir, his client, had cooperated all along. Besides, there were many people sharing that same residence, added the lawyer.
Defence lawyer Ishmael Psaila, assisting Karim, added that both had everything in order and according to law.
The accused’s criminal record was also untainted.
AG lawyer Nathaniel Falzon countered that the accused had been living in Malta for six months and the prosecution’s greatest fear was that the youths might abscond.
That fear could, however, be addressed through adequate conditions if the court were to grant bail.
After hearing submissions, the court, presided over by Magistrate Joseph Mifsud, upheld the request, granting bail on the condition of daily signing of the bail book, under a personal guarantee of €20,000, a curfew between 10pm and 5am and other conditions including a prohibition of approaching any prosecution witness.
Upon an additional request by the prosecution, the court imposed a specific condition whereby the accused were not to access any portals or information related to their own or anyone else’s ID Malta single permit system and ID card.
AG lawyers Nathaniel Falzon and Andreas Vella prosecuted, together with Inspector Marcus Cachia.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb were counsel to Tanvir.
Lawyer Ishmael Psaila was counsel to Karim.