The police force has pushed back against a man’s claims that he was never informed that he was wanted by the authorities.

Ryan Dimech became a wanted man after he failed to show up for a court sitting and on a magistrate’s instructions, the police said in a statement on Saturday.

Police issued a public call asking for the public’s help to track down Dimech on Friday afternoon, saying he was wanted in connection with a pending court case.

But Dimech, who is 44 and self-employed, quickly wrote on social media that he was in Sicily and had no idea that he was wanted.

“The police never contacted me, but I was the one who had to reach out to them. I never received any court summons throughout this whole time,” he told Times of Malta when contacted.

Dimech said he would be returning to Malta because he had “nothing to hide”.

The police confirmed in their statement on Saturday that Dimech was back in Malta and said they had “intercepted him” as he returned from Sicily.

A magistrate had ordered his arrest after he failed to attend a court sitting, the police said. When they had trouble finding him, they issued a public plea for the public’s help, they added, to ensure the court case could continue “and the victim’s interests safeguarded.”