FKNK official fined over Kercem incident

Carmel (Lino) Farrugia, a senior official of the hunters' federation, has been fined €349.40 by the Appeals Court after he was found guilty of having encouraged or assisted another person to violate a police order to stop the trapping of birds.

The incident happened on November 26, 2006 at l-Ghadira ta San Rafflu, near Kercem, Gozo.

The Appeals Court said it was satisfied that Mr Farrugia had not gone to the site to trap birds, but, as an official of the hunters' federation, to investigate a complaint by Paul Grech over the actions of the police.

The court said that Mr Farrugia's presence for almost two hours at a place where nets had been put up, manifestly against the law, without him doing anything to draw attention to this violation of the law, as well as his attitude to the police, particularly when he told Mr Grech not to dismantle the nets, as ordered by the police, rendered him guilty of having assisted or encouraged Mr Grech to violate regulations.

Mr Farrugia and Mr Grech had originally been acquitted by the Magistrates' Court for lack of evidence. The Appeals Court overturned the judgment. Mr Grech was fined €931.74.