Man to be sentenced after admitting to Msida car arson

A man has admitted to having intentionally started a fire which destroyed a car in Msida last Saturday.

Luqa resident Moustafa Ozturk, 35, from Turkey., was arraigned before magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech this morning, accused of arson.

Inspectors Jeffrey Scicluna and Jonathan Ransely charged the man, who manages a kebab shop, with having set the car alight in Clarence street at around 5:30am on Saturday.

Police investigations identified Ozturk as a suspect, and he was taken into police custody on Thursday. The court was told that the man had cooperated with the police during interrogation.

Ozturk pleaded guilty to the charges.

Defence lawyer Alfred Abela told the court that the man had a clean criminal record.

In their submissions on punishment, the prosecution and the defence suggested a two-year prison sentence, suspended for four years.

The court adjourned the case to 21 March for sentencing, pointing out that the value of the car destroyed had yet to be quantified, and so it could not order the offender to compensate the victim if it were to sentence him today.

Ozturk was released on bail pending sentencing against a deposit of €600 and a personal guarantee of €4,400. He was also ordered to sign a bail book twice a week.