Seven people who together manage a family petrol station in Zurrieq have been cleared of selling diesel with a high sulphur content after a court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. 

The court ruled that tests by a court-appointed expert could not be carried out because the samples taken from diesel pumps in 2009 had not been preserved properly, leading to possible tampering with court evidence. 

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona was ruling in the case against Gianni Camilleri, 68, Frangiska Bellizzi, 68, Wigi Camilleri, 76, Emanuele Camilleri, 79, Angela Zammit, 80, Marija Caruana, 24 and Edward Camilleri, 47. They had been charged with selling diesel which did not confirm to European standards from Gaetano Camilleri Service Station in Valletta Road, Zurrieq. 

The court heard how the Malta Resources Authority had taken two samples from the petrol station on September 28, 2009, and these were found to contain a high sulphur content. More samples were taken on October 7 when three of four samples were found in breach of regulations on sulphur content.

When the matter was taken to court, the court appointed an expert to examine the samples.

However, it resulted that the company contracted by the MRA to test the samples in 2009, Saybolt, had not properly preserved them and the court expert could not analyse the samples independently. Some of the samples had broken seals so they could have been tampered with before reaching the court expert. 

In view of the lack of substantive evidence, Magistrate Micallef Trigona ruled that the prosecution had not managed to prove its case and therefore cleared the defendants of all the charges. 

Police Inspector Carlos Cordina prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Angie Muscat appeared for the defendants.