A man who posted Facebook threats against MEP Roberta Metsola has been denied bail.

Emanuel Navarro, 66 from Naxxar, wrote on Facebook: "All of you, especially you [Metsola], you're a national traitor. It's not a condemnation you deserve, but to be burnt alive, you dung."

Read: 'You deserve to be burned alive': PN urges police to investigate Facebook comment

Dr Metsola and the PN's two other MEPs, David Casa and Francis Zammit Dimech, have faced harsh criticism over the past week from Labour Party supporters, who have accused them of being traitors for having urged the EU to condemn Malta.

The elderly pensioner, who pleaded not guilty, was arraigned under arrest with Inspector Elton Taliana pointing out that the wrongdoing constituted a very serious threat.

Legal procurator Peter Paul Zammit as defence counsel remarked that: “It was a very sad day for Malta to have reached the stage where a 66-year old was brought under arrest.”

In view of the nature of the comments made by the offender, the court, presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, denied bail and issued a Protection Order in favour of the victim of the threats.

“It’s a horrible, horrendous day that one should pass such comments,” the court observed. When a person, from the comfort of his home, commits such acts, he may serve as a hidden hand to potentially instigate the commission of serious offences, the court pointed out in the decree whereby it remanded the man in custody.

The accused had also violated a conditional discharge following a sentence given last April.

Inspector Elton Taliana prosecuted, while lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Karol Aquilina appeared parte civile.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.