A Moroccan man with allegedly no means to maintain himself was yesterday accused of leading an idle and vagrant life after the court heard that he eats at various restaurants and snack bars and then simply walks off without paying the bill.

Abdel Mouniam Jabal, 38, who lives in Malta and has a Maltese passport, pleaded not guilty to assaulting and slightly injuring a police officer at the Msida police station and to slightly injuring Alfred Galea, 59, when he allegedly slapped him across the face at around 11am on Wednesday morning.

Police Inspector Stephen Gatt told the court, presided over by magistrate Edwina Grima, that Mr Jabal slapped Mr Grima during an argument they had in front of the Msida police station.

Eventually, after the police intervened, the accused was escorted into the police station.

Before he was taken to his cell, Inspector Gatt explained, Mr Jamal was asked to give the police his belt and shoe laces. However, Mr Jamal resisted the police, grabbed a constable from the neck and slammed him against the wall, slightly injuring him.

During the investigations, the police discovered that Mr Jabal had no means of maintaining himself in Malta and usually walked out of the restaurants where he would have eaten without paying the bill.

Before magistrate Grima, Mr Jabal pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. He was granted bail against a personal guarantee of Lm500 and ordered to sign the bail book at the Msida police station three times a day.

Dr Patrick Valentino appeared for the accused as legal aid.