A man was today remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to shooting his partner's brother during a family argument in Valletta on Tuesday morning. 

Massimo Caruana, 35, an unemployed man from Valletta, denied attempting to murder Noel Mifsud when he allegedly shot him in the leg at 10.50am in Triq l-Ixprun.

Sources said the two argued over a deal involving money and cars before the shooting took place. 

Mr Caruana was also charged with carrying an unlicensed weapon during the commission of a crime, slightly injuring Mr Mifsud, threatening Mr Mifsud and his father Alfred and breaching the peace. 

Mr Caruana, who has other pending criminal proceedings, some dating back to 2006, was further charged with breaching the bail conditions of two pending cases and relapsing. The prosecution also requested the court to order that the sum of €14,330 connected with the bail conditions be forfeited. 

Defence counsel Charmaine Cherrett said that the weapon allegedly used in the case had not been found. 

According to a medical certificate presented in court, Mr Mifsud was shot from a very close range of between one and two metres but he was luckily only slightly injured. Doctors who examined Mr Mifsud, who is still in hospital, said Mr Mifsud had an entrance and exit wound but investigators have not yet found the bullet, the court heard. 

Police Inspectors Daryl Borg and Kurt Zahra opposed to the request for bail, saying that according to investigations so far, after allegedly shooting Mr Mifsud, Mr Caruana allegedly pointed the weapon at Mr Mifsud's father and told him: "I'll shoot you in the head". 

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit turned down the request for bail in view of the seriousness of the charges brought against him and because of the possibility that witnesses are approached.