Court acquits Marsaskala residents over 'illegal' banners

A group of Marsaskala residents, including the local council minority leader John Baptist Camilleri, have been acquitted by court of committing illegal activities when hanging banners in the locality. 

In a statement Moviment Graffiti said the residents were charged with "absurd accusations" of hanging banners and of collecting funds for their activities, in an illegal manner. It said that the magistrate immediately dismissed the case against them.

"The Marsaskala residents are active citizens calling for improvements in their locality as well as calling out the greed of certain businesspeople who are robbing them of their quality of life and public spaces. In a case of unacceptable intimidation, the police had started summoning persons involved in this group and charging them with these ridiculous accusations, following reports brought against them by businessman Eric Abela," Graffitti stated.

It said that Abela, who holds business interests in Marsaskala square, failed to show up in court today to sustain his accusations. The NGO highlighted that Abela participated in a committee, "illegally" constituted by the mayor, and chaired by his PL candidate cousin Ray Abela, that was redesigning the square and its surrounding.

Since then, the committee has been dissolved after residents revealed that it was set up in breach of applicable regulations, but they have also warned that the plans drawn up by this committee will now be pushed via an MTA design contest for the locality.

"In spite of all intimidation against them, the residents will continue in their relentless activism and are now leading the battle against the proposed yacht marina in the locality," Graffitti said.