Fine raised from Lm25 to Lm500

A man who had been fined Lm25 for operating a canteen without a licence had his fine raised to Lm500 on appeal by the Attorney General.

The Magistrates' Court had found Harold Attard guilty of running a canteen at Beltissebh without a licence from the Malta Tourism Authority and fined him Lm25.

The Criminal Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice David Scicluna, noted that the fine was way below the minimum contemplated at law for such offences. The law stipulated a fine of between Lm500 and Lm10,000. He thus raised the fine accordingly.