Maltapost has been ordered to pay Said International Ltd over €30,000 after a court found that it had not honoured its legal obligations following the adoption of the Euro in 2007.

In its writ filed before the First Hall of the Civil Court, Said International said that the government had published a legal notice which stipulated that postage stamps issued from 1st January 1998 onward would no longer be valid for prepayment of postage as from 1st February 2008.

The legal notice provided however that any person having in his possession any postage stamps invalidated in terms of law could, from the 1st February 2008 to the March 31, 2008 surrender them to Maltapost which was to exchange them for other valid postage stamps of an equal value.

The legal notice stipulated further that this was not to apply to stamps which were to be used only for purposes of philately.

Said International told the court, presided over by Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti, that it had €30,219.19 worth of stamps in Maltese liri in its possession and that it had applied to Maltapost to have the stamps changed to Euro stamps or, alternatively, to be paid the equivalent in Euro.

Maltapost had refused on the basis that documentary evidence that the stamps  purchased from Maltapost was limited to only Lm425.76. Furthermore, Maltapost claimed that Said International had purchased the stamps for purposes of philately.

Mr Justice Chetcuti said that philately included the collecting of stamps and other postal matter as a hobby or an investment. Philately also included the study of postage stamps, revenue stamps and similar material.

The main purpose of purchasing stamps was for using them as postage. however, the owner of a stamp could also use it for purposes of philately or any other purpose so long as he had paid its pre-paid value. A person could purchase a stamp for collection purposes and then change his mind and use it for postage.

In this case it resulted that the stamps held by Said International were new and in mint condition and had never been used. Although some of the stamps had been purchased overseas, the court ruled that Maltapost itself sold stamps overseas, so its objection to payment on this ground was invalid.

The court added that there was no law prohibiting an individual from purchasing stamps from overseas. Such stamps could be used as part of a collection or for postage.

The court therefore concluded that Maltapost had failed to honour its legal obligations and ordered it to pay Said International €30,219.19

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