A man was on Wednesday charged with setting fire to a pick-up truck in Valletta on Tuesday.

A video circulating social media on Tuesday showed a Ford Ranger engulfed in flames on East Street, Valletta.

By Wednesday, Christopher Ryan, 30, a chef, was charged with arson for setting fire to the vehicle near a hotel, as well as causing damage to a nearby Toyota.

Ryan pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Inspector Shaun Pawney told a court the incident started in the early hours of Tuesday morning when a truck was reported to have caught fire. The inspector added that the fire also spread to a nearby warehouse close to private residences.

Ryan was arrested later that day at his residence in Merchant Street, Valletta.

The defence requested bail, arguing that the only witness in the case was the car’s owner. With no other eyewitnesses, they contended there was no risk of Ryan interfering with the investigation.

They further argued that Ryan, as a father of a four-year-old child, had strong ties to the country and was unlikely to flee.

The prosecution dismissed this point as irrelevant, maintaining that Ryan could still contact the car’s owner, posing a risk to the case.

Inspector Pawney added that investigations were ongoing, as there might be someone else involved in the arson.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech denied bail.

Inspectors Pawney, Gabriel Micallef, and AG lawyer Joseph Camilleri Azarov prosecuted.

Defence lawyers Jose Herrera and Martina Herrera represented the accused.

Back in 2015, repeat offender Ryan was jailed for 28 months after admitting to snatching necklaces off three elderly women.

At the time, Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera told Ryan: “You are far too young to be in court. You need to do something with your life and reform as you'll land yourself in more trouble.”