Four mini-bus drivers were yesterday granted bail after having been held in preventive arrest since Friday on allegations of having stopped a coach in Marsa during the transport strike.

Vincent Spiteri, 48, of Qormi, Jason Desira, 35, of Żejtun, Aaron Zahra, 27, of Qormi and Shaun Tabone, 25, of Marsa were also charged with holding the coach driver against his will last Wednesday. During yesterday's sitting, Magistrate Anthony Vella heard the coach driver, Roberto Dimech, testify that nobody had attacked him or damaged his vehicle.

He said that, after having been stopped by the mini-bus drivers for about 10 minutes, he was in a position to continue on his way. Mr Dimech added that he could not recognise any of the accused in the court room.

Another witness, Victoria Camilleri, explained that she was accompanying the tourists who were on the coach and driving behind the coach. The mini-bus drivers stopped the coach but did not attack the driver.

The mini-bus drivers were granted bail against a €1,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €5,000.

In a separate sitting, bus driver Paul Borg, 21, of Attard, who is facing charges in connection with incidents outside Castille on July 16, was also granted bail on a deposit of €900 and a personal guarantee of €1,000.