Police chase sports car
A man who failed to pay tax on his British-registered Mercedes-Benz and then led the police on a car chase after the Malta Transport Authority tried to confiscate his vehicle was conditionally discharged yesterday.
Car dealer Andrew Debono, 46, purchased the high-end sports-utility vehicle from the UK and on arriving in Malta used the trial run number plates to drive the vehicle about.
The normal procedure for cars purchased abroad and then brought here is for the vehicle to be impounded until the necessary car tax has been paid. When the police traced the car they went together with an ADT official to retrieve it on Wednesday evening.
Mr Debono began arguing with the ADT official and when the police tried to tow the vehicle, he sped away with the police mobile squad in hot pursuit.
No fewer than two police cars gave chase and a third that was in the vicinity was also called in to lend a hand. When the third car arrived, Mr Debono had already been apprehended after he crashed against another police car that drove in front of his vehicle to block his way.
Mr Debono continued to argue with the police until he was overpowered and placed into a police car. After Mr Debono pleaded guilty to the charges, defence lawyers José Herrera and Noel Bianco told Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna that the damage to the police car amounted to just under €150. They said Mr Debono paid for the damage caused and fully cooperated with the police during their investigations.
Dr Herrera asked the court not to ban his client from having a driving licence given that he worked as a car dealer. The prosecution did not object. After taking into consideration the fact that Mr Debono had a clean police record, the court conditionally discharged him for one year and fined him €582.50.
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H. Mifsud
Jan 18th 2009, 09:36
RIDICULOUS! - And then one parks in a parking spot which is reserved for residents only on the Valletta ring road (and which is left empty all day long anyway for the convenience of the residents) and one gets a fine hahahahahahaha
Willem Van Zoest
Jan 17th 2009, 20:32
I think the reason why so many retired foreigners tend to take also their family car is because cars are so damm expensive to buy for such low salaries,its understandable don't you think? used to be the same problem between Australia and New Zealand, were as in Australian cars are less then what the prices are or were then cheaper to buy, you never see a German importing a Mercedes-Benz in to say Holland or Belguim for the same reason, they are cheaper to buy in Germany.so people tend to think that Malta is an easy target and think they get away with from paying road tax or a valid safety certificate, because lets face it no Maltese garage is going to issue a Saftey certif. without the local registration tax, not sure about inusrance, but as my friends pointed out to me this seems to be happening alot in Malta and Gozo especially, this is what i think anyway for what its worth,and if the Maltese don't want anyone cheating the state or in this case the ADT, then the local partol or the unmarked police vehicles should get off their backside and chase after them. Fullstop.
Lawrence Bonello
Jan 17th 2009, 18:59
And what if he injured or killed any polcemen who might have been inside the vehicle he crashed into?
Go on cowboys!! Keep it up!
M.Gauci
Jan 17th 2009, 17:52
The court should have also charged him and made him pay the damages caused to the Police car. Is it the taxpayer who will pay for those damages?
F.Bartolo Snr
Jan 17th 2009, 15:57
I agree with Mr.Visanich and i dare say thousands of other Maltese citizens who have to abide by our law-THE MALTESE LAW- and pay road tax and insurance. As Mr.Visanich says what if an accident occurs what then? eh? this Brit. or pommie as we call them in Aussi will probably leg it or get the British High Commissioner to get him or her out of schtuck. i would also agree to say that every British foreign registered vehicles as they are in majority should be impounded as soon as it enters our ports,well its only fair don't you think, at least thats what happens to most of our Maltese citizens as soon as they land in the UK thats the first think their customs and excise do gather wround the individual like a swarm of bees.I have with my own eyes when in Gozo seen loads of these British registered cars day after day with no tax displayed. why aren't our police partol and wardens doing their job there instead of sticking parking tickets on Maltese registered vehicles.,and how come Gozo is isolated and such foreigners with imported registered vehicles get away with it whilst Malta don't?
john falzon
Jan 17th 2009, 14:32
Crazy, just crazy. And what if he had hit someone ? What sort of example is the court giving here ?
So if I have a clean police record and have 600 Euros to burn, I can have a great adrelanin filled afternoon to remember then ? I can argue with public officials, physically prevent my vehicle from being towed , resist arrest, drive off against police orders, and drive off like a maniac, taking up the time and resources of 3 police cars no less ? And I don't even get to lose my drivers license ?
Wahoo!!! bring it on man ! Mickey Mouse country indeed.
a mifsud
Jan 17th 2009, 14:21
This man ran (drove) from police, escaped arrest, ran into a police car....and then we hear about his clean police record and that he has to keep his licenece because he's car dealer!!! This is ridiculous.
Charles Sammut
Jan 17th 2009, 12:44
Most of the vehicles on the road have paid their registration tax, VAT, import duty, road tax, fuel tax, VRT, insurance. They are further charged for parking, entering Valletta and penalised for any traffic infringement whether real or percieved.
The least we can expect from ADT is that most of the roads are in decent condition. As it is most of the roads are in an abysmal state. But who cares, they have the motorist by the short and curlies.
So much for accountability and transparence.
Ivan Visanich
Jan 17th 2009, 11:12
Another cowboy,just a eur 582.50 fine....When these type of UK or wherever registered cars arrive in Malta why can't they be kept in some customs compounds and release only upon having their registration tax fully paid.This morning I witnessed and ADT and police officer confiscating a car with foreign plates,no insurance and expired licence.What if this bully hit someone or crashed into another car.Well done ADT but more work needs to be done.