A Chinese kitchen assistant at the centre of work exploitation claims has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to threatening two men with a knife.

Xiao Guan, 29, was arraigned yesterday before Magistrate Charmaine Galea and pleaded not guilty. He had been arrested on Sunday evening, when two Chinese men allegedly turned up at the room he was sharing in Marsa demanding that he move out.

It is being alleged that an agitated Mr Xiao refused to leave and then chased the men with a knife. No one was hurt. Sources said the knife has not been found.

In a story published on the same morning by The Sunday Times of Malta, the man complained of receiving only €752 for all the hours of work he had performed between April and October 8. He also claimed he had been threatened and assaulted by his boss.

He pleaded not guilty to threatening two men with a knife

Mr Xiao was arraigned under arrest by Inspector Robert Said Sarreo and accused of threatening Penghcheng Zhang and Haisan Wu with a knife.

The court turned down a request for bail on the grounds that the accused had no fixed address. Lawyer Christopher Chircop acted as legal aid, while Alexander Schembri appeared parte civile for the victims.

The Sunday Times of Malta also reported that the accused was residing in Marsa because he had no money to rent a place.

An exercise carried out by the Employment and Industrial Relations Department showed he should have been paid a minimum of €12,038 for hours he said he had worked. The department is investigating.

Mr Xiao came to Malta through an agency in China, and in 2014 signed a five-yearcontract to work at a restaurant here. He claimed that he was offered squalid accommodation conditions which he had to share with other workers.

The restaurant owner has denied the exploitation claim, saying the employee had been paid in full and that it was Mr Xiao who was aggressive.