A man was remanded in custody after allegedly being involved in an arson attack and riding a stolen motorcycle from the crime scene, a court heard Monday.

Jurgen Cassar, a 39-year-old man from Qormi, pleaded not guilty to charges of setting fire to four cars, aggravated theft, breaching bail conditions and recidivism.

Inspector Shawn Pawney told the court the arson attack took place at an Qormi yard during the early hours of March 1.

While analysing CCTV footage, the police identified the motorcycle used in the attack. Further investigations revealed the motorcycle was stolen around a month ago.

The police arrested Cassar after monitoring the vehicle and catching him as he attempted to ride it.

Further investigations revealed Cassar had been involved in an armed robbery that took place in Ħamrun a week before, on February 23.  

Defence lawyer Matthew Xuereb requested bail, arguing the accused currently resides with his mother and was ready to follow any conditions imposed by the court.

The prosecution objected to the request, with lawyer Brendan Hewer arguing the accused’s criminal records showed he would not respect bail conditions and that there was a risk that evidence could be tampered with.

He said the accused faced a “hotchpotch” of different crimes, and civilian witnesses were yet to testify.

The request for bail was denied by Magistrate Joseph Gatt, who also ordered the freezing of assets.

Inspectors Shawn Pawney and Elisia Scicluna prosecuted with the assistance of AG lawyer Brendan Hewer.

Defence lawyer Matthew Xuereb appeared for the accused.