Adds FKNK reaction

David Briffa, assistant general secretary of the hunters' federation (FKNK) was today found guilty by the courts of attempted assault on CABS media officer Axel Hirschfeld and for swearing in public. He was fined €50 for each offence.

Earlier, BirdLife Malta said in a statement Mr Briffa had been found guilty of assault.

The incident happened on September 20 when BirdLife Malta and CABS volunteers searched the Mizieb woodland and found the remains of over 80 dead birds, some of which were freshly shot. The search was conducted on the anniversary of the find of over 200 dead protected birds in the woodland last year, the NGO said.

During the search the conservationists were approached by Mr Briffa who shouted insults and obscenities at the group. Mr Briffa then approached Mr Hirschfeld and hit him on the face. The incident was caught on film by CABS volunteers and a TV crew producing a documentary for the Bayerischer Rundfunk TV station.

A report was filed at Qawra police station and Mr Hirschfeld pressed charges, with Inspector Paul Bond prosecuting. The video evidence was presented in court and Mr Briffa was sentenced for using obscene language in public, assaulting without injury, and insulting Axel Hirschfeld.

BirdLife Malta said it was keen to see what disciplinary action would now be taken against Mr Briffa by the FKNK.

Another CABS member, 27 year old Fiona Burrows from Nottingham, was also attacked on the same day by two hunters in Mizieb A police report was filed and charges pressed. CABS are awaiting court summons.

Mr Briffa was also charged in 2007 for allegedly threatening journalists during the pro-hunting rally in Valletta. The case was dropped as the witnesses (journalists) did not testify at the court. However the witnesses claimed that they never have received the court summons, BirdLife said.

FKNK TO TAKE COURT ACTION

The hunters' federation (FKNK) said in a reaction this evening that the statement by BirdLife Malta earlier today continued to highlight the piteous plight of this organisation in using tactics of 'sustained provocation so as to inflate completely out of all proportion any incident resulting from their provocative tactics'.

"The supposedly bird loving organisation seems to have completely forgotten its origins that were aimed at enhancing ornithology to become a money-making unit that continues to create negative situations so as to sustain its foreign funding," the FKNK said,

"In so doing BLM is prepared to forgo any sense of decency, even in reporting on the result of a court decision that directly affects a human being."

The federation explained that BirdLife's press release was incorrect in many ways. In the first instance Mr Briffa was not an assistant secretary of the Federation for hunting & Conservation, nor an official of the FKNK Council of which Mr. Briffa is a member.

Secondly, Mr Briffa was not convicted for insulting anyone, nor for swearing but for uttering foul language. And finally, Mr Briffa was not found guilty of "hitting" a member of CABS (Committee Against Bird Slaughter).

In fact, in correct legal terminology Mr Briffa was found guilty of attempting to use force against another person, a verdict that will be appealed.

"It has to be highlighted that Mr. Briffa was acquitted by the Court of Magistrates of having assaulted and/or caused injuries to the CABS representative," the FKNK said.

The federation added that the unauthorized search (without police presence) that CABS and BLM carried out in 2009 whilst trespassing on FKNK's Hunting Reserve of Miżieb was still under investigation and so anything said in this regard was still hearsay.

"The search carried out last September was again carried out without police presence despite the fact that we, the FKNK, offered to pay for such police presence ourselves purposely to have an official presence that could avoid any misconceptions and coincidences. BLM and CABS chose to think that such police presence was unnecessary since they seem to think that they are gifted with powers above those of normal citizens and can take the law into their own hands."

The FKNK said it intends to take legal action against on-line commentators that referred to the 2007 shut case, and to another commentator who had said that "...it is clear that it (FKNK) is being led by criminals." It would also instigate other legal procedures against BLM and its employee who was responsible for the inaccuracies in this BLM's press release.

"This continuous drama of creating provocative scenarios and theatrics in order to incite any retaliation such that this can be amplified as BLM is doing in this case is only adding to the series of coincidences and misguided action that only serves one thing; a piteous attempt to generate more sympathy and funds for BLM," the FKNK said.

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