Wayle Mana and Habib Musa front court accused of Burgatory restaurant arson
The case of two men accused of firebombing the Caulfield Burgertory store last year is continuing to drag on, prompting a magistrate to lay down the law.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two men charged with torching the Caulfield Burgertory restaurant will have to spend another four weeks in custody as both are still without proper legal representation.
No pleas were taken when Wayle Mana and Habib Musa appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via AVL on Tuesday and they were remanded in custody until August 16.
Mr Mana, 24, is facing seven charges, including arson, robbery and theft of a motor vehicle while Mr Musa is charged with arson.
Both allegedly torched the Burgertory restaurant on November 10 2023, causing $450,000 worth of damage.
The Burgertory fire sparked volatile protests against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The Caulfield restaurant was torched just hours before a violent clash at nearby Princes Park, when a Caulfield synagogue was evacuated as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the area.
Mr Mana is alleged to have also torched a Bendigo tobacco store on January 29, causing more than $4m worth of damage.
He is also accused of stealing a Mercedes sedan in Doncaster on November 10, 2023 and committing an unlawful assault in the same suburb.
The court was advised Burn City Legal would represent Mr Mana but in court on Tuesday, Magistrate Malcolm Thomas said the law firm hadn’t received funding for the representation.
A Legal Aid lawyer stood in for Mr Musa, prompting the magistrate to stress the importance of both men to have proper legal representation.
Mr Thomas told Mr Mana if he could not afford a lawyer, he could see Legal Aid for his case to progress further.
The Magistrate was also not happy with a request to adjourn Mr Musa’s case as his lawyers and the prosecution were still in discussions.
“There’s a person in custody who could wait for months and months because lawyers are simply discussing matters, not progressing them,” Mr Thomas said.
He said it was not a case conference system and that if there was sufficient evidence, Mr Musa’s would be committed to the County Court for trial.
