The entire committee of the Naxxar Peace Band club were yesterday arraigned in court over storing explosive material in the club's basement.

The 11 men and one woman, who include the president and secretary of the club together with the nine committee members and the club administrator, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They are: Carmel Grech, 50 (president), Victor Gauci, 54 (secretary), Louis Bugeja, 23, Edward Azzopardi, 28, Mary Chetcuti, 41, Anthony Cauchi, 41, Joseph Martin Camilleri, 63, Raymond Chetcuti, 48, Ivan Gauci, 24, David Sammut, 25, Joseph Buhagiar, 49, and Mark Aguis, 39, the club administrator, who was arraigned separately.

They denied storing the explosive material and importing explosives without a licence. All the accused hail from Naxxar, except for the president who is from Iklin and the club administrator, who is from St Paul's Bay.

Justifying a request for bail, lawyer Joseph Giglio, appearing for Mr Azzopardi, told the court his client did not know about the fireworks hidden in the basement. The explosives were hidden behind a wardrobe through an opening in the wall.

Lawyer Martin Fenech, appearing for Mr Grech, Victor Gauci, Ms Chetcuti, Mr Cauchi, Mr Camilleri and Mr Chetcuti, told the court that the committee members were all respectable, family-oriented people, with no police record. He too claimed they did not know about the explosives stored beneath the club.

Lawyer Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, appearing for Ivan Gauci, Mr Sammut and Mr Buhagiar and echoing the claim that the accused were unaware of the store beneath the club, told the court that the area where the fireworks were found was very inconspicuous. The opening behind the wardrobe leading to the room was cemented over, he said.

Mr Agius was represented by Dr Giglio and Dr Fenech.

The court also heard how in the first committee meeting after the fatal Naxxar explosion of March 12, the issue was discussed and the committee called on anyone with explosives stored illegally to come forward.

Magistrate Edwina Grima granted all the accused bail against a deposit of €250 each and a personal guarantee of €5,000 each.

She said she had taken into consideration that the club had been closed on the orders of the Inquiring Magistrate Miriam Hayman and the Commissioner of Police.

Police Inspectors Elton Taliana and Nikolai Sant prosecuted.