A delivery man has told a court that he earned just €10 per day from his job as he and another man were arraigned on charges related to the sale of cannabis.

Abdiladeef Abdirahman Hassan, 22, of Hamrun and homeless Abdiwahab Ahmed Ali, 35, both from Somalia, appeared in the dock before magistrate Audrey Demicoli this morning.

Police Inspector Matthew Galea, prosecuting, charged the men with offences relating to the aggravated possession and trafficking of cannabis and cannabis resin, as well as with recidivism. The men were alleged to have sold drugs from a house in Hamrun.

The men pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Asked what their occupation was, Hassan said that he was unemployed and lived off government benefits, but an agitated Ali told the court that he "worked as a delivery man for €10 a day." If true, this would put him €547 below the monthly minimum wage.

Christopher Chircop, legal aid to the men, did not request bail at this stage, reserving that right for a later stage in proceedings. The court ordered the acts to be sent to the registrar for the case to be assigned according to law.