Two men were remanded in custody on Saturday after being charged in connection with an armed robbery at a supermarket in Xagħra, Gozo, two days ago.

The accused are Matthew Frendo, a 49-year-old Maltese man from Żebbuġ, and Damiano Alfio Ranissi Torissi, a 47-year-old Italian residing in St Paul's Bay.

The pair appeared before Magistrate Simone Grech in the Gozo courts, facing multiple charges. These included the theft of a Toyota Vitz on 4 September, carrying out the supermarket hold-up, breaching bail conditions related to another case, and being in possession of stolen items. Torissi was also separately charged with carrying a weapon.

Both men pleaded not guilty. No request for bail was made, and the court ordered that they remain under arrest.

The prosecution was led by lawyer Martina Muscat from the Attorney General's office, assisted by Inspectors Wayne Camilleri and Mario Xiberras. Lawyer Chris Said appeared for the accused, while lawyer Carmelo Galea represented the supermarket.

The robbery took place at around 8pm on Thursday evening, when a man entered the store on Vjal it-8 ta' Settembru, pointed a firearm at the cashier, grabbed the cash register drawer, and fled with an undisclosed sum of money.

The getaway vehicle, driven by an accomplice, had been reported stolen earlier the same evening from Xewkija. The stolen car was later found abandoned in Xagħra.

Police apprehended Torissi at the Mġarr harbour as he attempted to board a ferry to Malta. Frendo was arrested later that afternoon at an apartment in Xagħra.