Premises' owner seeks withdrawal of licence

The owner of premises in Paceville yesterday filed a judicial protest in the Civil Court calling on the Malta Tourism Authority to withdraw the premises' licence.

St George's Park Company Limited filed its protest against the Police Commissioner, the MTA, Clouds Catering Limited and Ashmar Holdings Limited.

The company declared it owned the premises known as Insomnia (formerly Clouds) at Paceville.

It had filed judicial action to evict Clouds Catering Limited from the premises due to non-payment of rent.

The premises had been licensed in favour of Clouds for the sale of alcohol and subject to the condition that no music was played after 11 p.m.

The premises, said the company, had not been opened regularly since 2000, but in July, Ashmar Holdings Limited had contracted with Clouds to run it.

St George's Park had then informed the MTA that the licence in respect of the premises had expired, and that Clouds was technically insolvent.

However, the MTA had proceeded to accept payment of arrears for the premises from Clouds without considering the licence to be expired.

The company added that Clouds did not satisfy the legal requirements to hold a commercial licence, and that Clouds was trying to transfer the licence onto a certain Gordon Ogylvie.

This transfer was prohibited, unless St George's Park gave its consent.

Furthermore, the premises Insomnia was now opening regularly, and was violating its conditions by playing music after 11 p.m.

The company called upon MTA to withdraw the licence and to refuse to accept any transfer of the licence.

The police commissioner was called upon to close the premises down, while Ashmar Holdings and Clouds were called upon to stop their irregular actions.