Property entrepreneur Marco Gaffarena fined for hunting contravention

A court has fined businessman and property speculator Mark Gaffarena €500 after he was found guilty of failing to return his Carnet de Chasse at the end of the hunting season and neglecting to pay an administrative fine.

The Carnet de Chasse is a booklet in which hunters record and report their catches and is collected at the end of each hunting season in order to establish quotas for the next spring hunting season. A hunting licence may not be issued if a hunter fails to return it. 

Before Magistrate Anthony Vella this morning, Inspector Jurgen Vella accused Gaffarena of not having returned the booklet as well as not having paid the associated fine.

The defence contested the charges, saying that the accused had acted in good faith, having called at the wild birds regulation unit office in person in order to hand in the booklet - after the deadline had lapsed.

The court found Gaffarena guilty and fined him €500. His hunting licence was not affected.