Extramarital affair behind Birkirkara arson attack, court told

A man set fire to the van of another man who had an affair with his wife, a court was told this afternoon.

This emerged as Inspector Jeffrey Scicluna arraigned a 45-year-old man from Fgura under arrest before magistrate Nadine Lia, accusing him of arson.

The man, a self-employed tyre repairman, was accused of setting fire to a van parked in Triq Tumas Fenech in Birkirkara. The incident happened on 13 January this year.

Scicluna explained that investigations by the police Arsons Unit, had arrived at the suspect after running checks on a number plate registered under his name which had been spotted at the scene. His van also matched a detailed description of the getaway car, which the police had been given.

The accused had been arrested yesterday afternoon and had admitted to his involvement in the arson during his interrogation, during which he was assisted by his lawyer.

The suspect had told the police that the victim had been in a sexual relationship with his wife and that after considering how to tackle this problem, had decided to set his van on fire.

Before asking him what he was going to respond to the charges, the court gave the accused the opportunity to consult with his lawyer, Franco Debono. He pleaded not guilty and requested bail for his client. 

Inspector Scicluna told the court that the accused had cooperated in full and had released a detailed statement. The inspector said he did not object to bail as long as the civilian witnesses were protected.

He informed the court that Grima had told the police that he had no idea as to who could have set fire to his van and that the police had arrived at the accused through their investigation. He hadn’t mentioned the suspect and had, in fact, mentioned other people, said the inspector, adding that this evidence was already preserved in the acts of the magisterial inquiry.

The defence did not object to the prosecution’s suggestion that a protection order be issued

The magistrate, after taking into account the parties’ submissions on bail and noting that all the evidence had been preserved in the magisterial inquiry, agreed to release the accused from arrest. 

Bail was secured by a €1,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €4,000. The man was also ordered to sign a bail book twice a week and observe a curfew.