Five charged after fishing boat fracas

Two fishermen have been bailed and three Egyptian sailors have been remanded in custody after a fight at sea which left one man with stab wounds.

Brothers Jonathan Caruana, 33 and Adrian Caruana, 47, from Marsaxlokk were charged with stabbing one of the sailors in an argument over services.

The Caruanas claim they were acting in self-defence. In court today, they pleaded not guilty to charges of bodily harm and were released on bail against a deposit of €1000 and a personal guarantee of €7000.

The other sailors involved in the fight were charged yesterday.  Ahmed Abdelshafy Farid Kiwan, Ahmed Hossny Ali Elkhamisy and Mohammad Zakaria Abdelkhalek Abdelwahab pleaded not guilty to charges of causing slight injury, attacking and threatening the Caruanas. Bail was denied in this case because the men had no fixed address ashore, as they lived on the fishing vessel.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared for the Caruana brothers. Lawyer Martin Fenech was legal aid to the sailors.