Libyans charged with Samurai sword attack

Two Libyan men have been charged with the attempted homicide of three nightclub bouncers whom they attacked them with Samurai swords in a bizarre incident in St. George's Street in Paceville on Saturday morning.

Inspector Matthew Spagnol arraigned Ramzi Abdulhafid Ib Abukem and Ibrahim Bed Jeddi, both aged 34, before magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona this afternoon.

The men were charged with attempting to kill William Briguglio, Simon Cassar and Carmelo Zammit during the incident, together with a slew of charges, 11 in all.

The men were arrested yesterday in apartments in San Gwann and Swieqi. A third suspect is still on the run, according to sources close to the case. Ramzi is understood to be wanted for an unspecified crime in Libya.

Bystanders had called the police as four men, who after an argument with some nightclub bouncers, returned to have the last word around thirty minutes later, armed with the swords.

The men are understood to have been thrown out of the club after attacking a patron with a glass. Having been sent on their way by the security staff, the men returned half an hour later, bearing what onlookers told police were samurai swords.

No injures were initially reported in the attack and the four men had fled the scene by the time police arrived.

Kathleen Grima appearing for Ramzi said that the accused was not a flight risk, as he had come to Malta as a refugee precisely to avoid staying in his home country.

Grima argued the attempted homicide charges had been “blown out of proportion”, as the two bouncers who were injured in the attack had only suffered slight injuries. She reminded the court that the alleged victims are bouncers. Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace concurred, reminding the court that bail was a right, not a privilege.

The Magistrate flatly refused the men bail, however, saying he would be remanding the men under arrest until all the witnesses have testified.