Lm57,300 fine over illegal building

A Gozitan man, who for eight years ignored a court order to demolish an illegal building, was yesterday fined Lm57,300, that is Lm25 for each of the 2,292 days the structure remained standing.

In a judgement handed down in November 1997 Teddy Rapa, 54, of Nadur, had been fined Lm100 for going ahead with construction without a permit.

The court had also ordered him to demolish the illegal structure within three months or pay a Lm25 fine daily.

On June 20, 1998, the Court of Criminal Appeal rejected Mr Rapa's appeal and confirmed the original judgement.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard how Mr Rapa failed to abide by the appeal court's final judgement as the illegal structure was still standing.

Police Inspector Maurice Curmi prosecuted.