Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1337056
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 FEBRUARY 2021 NEWS MATTHEW AGIUS A man accused of trying to set another man on fire has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and drug trafficking, with the motive for the attempted murder remain- ing unclear. Inspector Shawn Pawney told magistrate Victor Axiak that police were informed at 8:30am yesterday, that accused Justin Di- mech, 29 had broken down the door of a Sliema apartment and poured gasoline under the door of the bathroom, where the victim, a relative of his, was hiding. He ignited the fuel but the victim luckily escaped with relatively light injuries. Dimech was soon arrested at a flat in Gzira. Substantial amounts of cannabis were found at his home. He later told police he sold the cannabis to buy crack cocaine for himself, but Pawney told the court it was not clear as to why the petrol attack took place. Lawyer Charles Mercieca, for the parte civ- ile, asked for a ban on the publication of the name of the victim. The court upheld the request, prohibiting the identification of the victim on every media, including social media. The accused, wearing green trousers and a black jumper, confirmed his identity as 29-year-old Justin Dimech from Gzira. He said he was unemployed at the moment. Bail was not being requested at this stage, defence lawyer Victor Bugeja said. The ac- cused will be held in custody until his case is assigned. In view of the drug trafficking charges, the court issued a freezing order over the man's assets. A four-year protection order was also is- sued in favour of the victim. The magistrate warned him not to approach the victim in any way if granted bail at a later stage, as the con- sequences would be grave – up to two years in prison, said the court. Inspector Jonathan Ransley also prosecuted. Gzira man charged with attempted murder in Sliema arson attack ADPD: Minimum wage must increase by €3,700 THE minimum wage as calculated in Malta is not adequate for those who depend on it for their livelihood, political party ADPD has said. "Workers and families depending on it sim- ply cannot live a decent and dignified life. It is imperative that our country looks out for all its citizens and residents - all contributing to the economy - by ensuring that they have a min- imum income that ensures a dignified, decent life," said ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopar- do, during a press conference held this morning in Castille Square, Valletta. Referring to a study published by Caritas on Friday titled "A Minimum Essential Budget for a Decent Living 2020" which follows other Caritas studies published in 2012 and 2016, Ca- copardo said it explained how the basic needs of vulnerable families could not be met if they are dependent on a single minimum wage. "The publication of the third Caritas report yester- day further reinforces the view that there are shortcomings in the way the minimum wage is being computed in Malta. The brunt of these shortcomings is mostly borne by vulnerable families." Cacopardo pointed out that Malta's minimum wage is among the lowest in the EU. This wage did not give workers the dignity and respect they deserve, he said. "This is precisely why discussions are currently underway at a Euro- pean Union level on a Directive for a uniform method to compute minimum wages across the Union. According to documents published with the proposed Directive in most Europe- an Union member countries with a national minimum wage, this minimum wage is too low compared to other wages. It is not enough for a decent living even though there has been an increase in recent years. The Caritas study concludes that a family consisting of two adults and two children needs €13,947 a year as a minimum to live decently. This is much higher than the minimum wage of € 181.08 per week in 2021, even when taking into account the June and December statutory bonuses, said ADPD. "It is obvious why the Maltese Government is opposing this proposed Directive. Its im- plementation not only improves the quality of life of those who are dependent on a minimum wage but also shakes to their foundations those sectors of the economy, protected by govern- ment, that are dependent on miserly and low wages," Cacopardo said.