The trial of a 25 year-old Ghanaian arrested for stealing has begun in the Italian city of Macerata via Skype following the devastating nature of the coronavirus disease in the country.

Appiah Douglas was arrested for stealing a cell phone belonging to his 24-year old colleague student and hearing begun on Friday through videoconference.

He has also been accused of resisting police arrest when caught, putting him in a tight situation under Italian laws.

The move comes as part of  measures laid down for the treatment of criminal proceedings following the spread of Coronavirus and also to avoid translations from the prison of the accused / suspect that would be risky for the escort agents and for the prisoner himself .

The non-EU citizen was with the prison police in Montacuto, while a lawyer, judge and public prosecutor were in court in Macerata. The technical assistant was also present. Before the hearing the judge Federico Simonelli gave the opportunity to the lawyer Francesca Meschini to speak alone with the client, then the hearing continued with Appiah who saw the judge but heard the voices of all the parties and the judge who saw the prisoner.

The Ghanaian replied to the ritual questions then made use of the right not to answer. For him, the public prosecutor Francesca D'Arienzo has requested pre-trial detention in prison since he is irregular on the national territory, does not work, does not have a home and has a specific precedent for theft.

The judge validated the arrest and, accepting the prosecutor's request, has ordered the measure of prison detention. The hearing was postponed to April 2 for the celebration of the direttissima. The arrest came last Tuesday when Douglas stole the cell phone that a 24-year-old college student was holding.

The theft had taken place a few minutes after midday along Viale Don Bosco and the young Ghanaian had then run away. He was immediately reached by local police officers led by the commander Danilo Doria who blocked him in Pizzarello square.

When cornered, the young man had reacted so much that another local police patrol and one of the state police had to intervene on the scene. Arrested for aggravated theft and resistance to public officials, he had been taken to Montacuto in prison.

Italy is the worst-affected in Europe. Almost everything has been closed and people told to stay at home.

The country on Friday recorded 919 new coronavirus deaths, its highest daily figure in the outbreak so far.
It means 9,134 people have now died from the virus in the country.

Earlier World Health Organization chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a "chronic global shortage" of protective equipment was one of the "most urgent threats" to the ability to save lives.

Earlier on Friday, authorities warned that restrictions were likely to be extended beyond 3 April.