Bubakar Kandeh, a 27-year-old restaurant worker from the Gambia living in Birkirkara, Malta, was arraigned before magistrate Noel Bartolo on Friday, facing charges of attempted arson, causing fear of violence, making a loud disturbance at night, being drunk and unable to take care of himself in public, attacking others with intent to annoy or harm them, uttering insults or threats, and causing criminal damage.

During the night of January 30, Kandeh, described as an aggressive drunk, was reported to be vomiting blood and appeared drunk as he banged on his neighbors’ doors in a block of flats. When nobody opened, he allegedly retaliated by setting a propane gas cylinder on fire in the common area of the flat.

Police apprehended Kandeh, who was then taken to the hospital for treatment and later arrested upon his release. He had cooperated with the police and released a statement about the incident with the assistance of a lawyer.

At the arraignment, lawyer Brandon Kirk Muscat represented Kandeh as legal aid, filing a plea of not guilty along with a request for bail and a social inquiry report. Muscat argued that the incident seemed to be a one-off offense by a defendant with a clean criminal record.

However, prosecutor Joseph Camilleri Azarov objected to bail, stating that Kandeh had “tried to burn down an apartment block with people inside it.” The prosecutor highlighted the risk of flight, as the address provided by Kandeh was the same one he had allegedly tried to set on fire. The owners of the flat did not want him to stay there anymore, adding to the risk of him absconding or tampering with evidence.

After hearing arguments from both sides and considering the circumstances, the court denied bail due to the nature of the charges and the risk of evidence being lost. The magistrate expressed doubts about Kandeh abiding by bail conditions.

The defense’s request for a social inquiry report was also denied at this early stage of the case. The magistrate urged the prosecution to present its evidence and summon its witnesses without delay.