73-year-old Joseph Micallef has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to shooting Noel Ciantar in Simbllija on Friday.

Micallef, who is a farmer, was charged with shooting Ciantar and causing him serious bodily injuries, on Sunday afternoon.

The police said on Sunday morning that the elderly aggressor was identified following investigations by the police corps’ major crimes unit, and was arrested on Saturday evening.

The police said the man was taken to the Floriana lockup for further interrogation, and will be charged in court on Sunday afternoon.

The incident happened in the area known as Wied Ħazrun, in the environs of the medieval village of Simblija in the outskirts of Dingli.

Ciantar claims to be the landowner of the hamlet, and has been involved in a number of arguments and altercations with NGOs, activists, authorities, and the government itself over the land.

Is-Simblija is a medieval hamlet of rural dwellings on the edge of a cliff, above a fertile valley called Wied Hażrun. Besides being a national monument, the site was the subject of an extensive EU-funded restoration project in 2003.

The Court heard how the man was identified using CCTV cameras in the area, with the accused appearing to be holding a weapon. It also heard how the victim and the aggressor had a history of quarrels between them, so much so that Ciantar had listed Micallef as one of the possible attackers.

The prosecution told the Court that accused had admitted with the police that it was him that shot Ciantar, while also detailing the incident.

The defence requested Micallef be released on bail, with the prosecution objecting to the request.

The accused was remanded in custody.