Two young men were arraigned in court yesterday in connection with an arson attack on a shop in Mriehel, limits of Qormi, on Saturday morning.

Marius Scerri, 18, and Fredrick Grech, 19, from Hamrun, were charged before Magistrate Silvio Meli that on 8 July 2006 at around 3.45am, they voluntarily set fire to the bar when there were people inside the building and that they damaged or destroyed other people’s mobile or immobile property.

Marius Scerri was alone charged with assaulting and threatening two women, of using foul language in public and of breaching public order.

The two youths pleaded not guilty. Bail was denied and they were remanded in custody.

In a separate arraignment yesterday, a 23-year-old Englishman, Jonathan Neil Thomson, was charged before Magistrate Silvio Meli with fraud and misappropriation of Lm2,000 to the detriment of various individuals and companies.

The man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.