by Matthew Xuereb

Paceville, Malta, June 27, 2007 – Four bouncers who work at nightclub Fuego in Paceville were charged yesterday with attempting to murder a Somali man during an incident that took place just outside the nightclub early on Sunday morning.

The bouncers, who told the court they work as “customer care” representatives, are Anthony Azzopardi, 27, from Hamrun, Roderick Attard, 22, from Kalkara, David Bonello, 48, from Gharghur and Charlton Abela, 25, from Cospicua.

The men were charged with attempting to murder Somali national Felix Idisi Oduh when they allegedly hit him on the neck with a broken glass bottle, and with seriously injuring him.

The bouncers were also charged with slightly injuring another foreigner, Nigerian Oroli Lucky, during the same incident as well as with assaulting the two men, threatening them, insulting them and breaching the peace. Mr. Abela alone was also charged with relapsing.

The court, presided over by magistrate Silvio Meli, heard prosecuting inspector Carlo Ellul explain that the incident had taken place at around 1.30am on 24 June when Mr. Oduh, Mr. Lucky and another Somali man turned up at Fuego Bar in Paceville. The bouncers told the men that they could not enter because a party for students was being held.

Mr. Lucky, who is in Malta on holiday, handed over a student card to show that he is a student in the United Kingdom, but he was still not allowed to enter. At this point, he asked to speak to the manager for an explanation of why he was not being allowed to enter.

The police inspector explained that, suddenly, the bouncers took hold of Mr. Lucky to eject him from the bar but a scuffle ensued and tables and chairs were hurled. Mr. Oduh suffered a serious injury to his neck after receiving a blow with a broken glass bottle.

Inspector Ellul said that in the course of his investigations, he had examined the closed circuit television footage and had subsequently accused the men of the charges brought against them.

The four men all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Magistrate Meli turned down their request for bail and they were remanded in custody.

Meanwhile, in a separate arraignment, Oroli Lucky, a 35-year-old Nigerian who lives in the UK, was sentenced to one month in prison after pleading guilty to slightly injuring one of the bouncers – Roderick Attard – as well as pushing him and breaching the peace.

Magistrate Meli jailed Lucky, who at first pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him but then changed his plea to guilty.

Police Inspector Carlo Ellul prosecuted. Dr Joseph Giglio appeared for the four defendants and Dr Peter Fenech appeared for Oroli Lucky.

Source: The Malta Independent