A man accused of starting the fatal Loafers Lodge hostel fire in New Zealand has appeared in court.
The 48-year-old man appeared in Wellington District Court on May 19, charged with two counts of arson.
He has been granted name suppression and remanded in custody for a month.
Local media report the man appeared in a black hooded jumper and made gestures toward the media before declaring his innocence.
“Someone else done it,” he said, according to the NZ Herald, before pointing towards his lawyer, Doug Ewen, and telling him he was fired.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail….