A police inspector yesterday called on a court to make an example out of a young Somali who ganged up with other thugs to beat a man and strip him of his clothes when he stopped to buy a cola from a vending machine.
Police inspector Silvio Valletta was making submissions against Somali national Ali Mohammed Abhukhadir – an 18-year-old. He pleaded guilty to stealing various items from the car the man was in, worth between e233 and e2,330 on 16 December at 2.30am. He also pleaded guilty to detaining the victim against his will and slightly inuring him.
Inspector Valletta said: “Here we had a case of a motorist being stripped of all his clothes, having a glass bottle smashed on his head and having his car ransacked, all because he stopped to buy a bottle of cola.”
He said that four people in total assaulted the motorist in question. “All he wanted was a drink. These guys (the assailants) were drinking beer and had run out of money. They wanted more. The accused was the only one we managed to apprehend and he has agreed to help the police track down the others, but this must be stopped. People are scared of going to Marsa,” he said.
Insp. Valletta continued: “We have laws in this country and if people come here they must be abided by. With all due respect, this is not Somalia. Just because it is a lawless state, it does not mean that immigrants can live the same way here.
“I should not be put into a position of telling Maltese people that they should steer clear of a place in their own country, Marsa, in Malta. We need to send a message and such crime must be stamped out and we can start here,” said the inspector.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Michael Mallia, noted the submissions of the officer and also noted that the accused will help the police track down the other suspects. Magistrate Mallia also took into account the fact that it was not the accused who smashed the bottle over the man’s head, the accused’s age and the fact that he is a first time offender.
He sentenced the teenager to six months’ jail suspended for one year. Police inspectors Silvio Valletta prosecuted while Dr Mark Busuttil appeared for the accused.