Easygas has been ordered to pay Liquigas €578,715 after being found guilty of having taken over, stored and used gas cylinders owned by Liquigas.

The case was instiutted by Liquigas in March 2011. It complained that Easygas has taken over a large number of gas cylinders which belonged to it. Some had been exported and efforts had been made to erase their distinguishing marks of ownership.

Liquigas said the situation had caused it a shortage of gas cylinders and it could be held responsible for gas cylinders which were no longer under its control.

Easygas had argued that third parties were under no obligation to return gas cylinders to Liquigas. It said the claims of responsibility in case of an accident were hypothetical.

The court upheld the Liquigas claims. It ordered Easygas to stop collecting Liquigas gas cylinders but said that in view of practical difficulties, it was not ordering the return of the cylinders to Liquigas.

Instead it ordered Easygas to pay Liquigas €578,715 in damages.

In a statement, Liquigas said that this judgement confirms that all green and yellow cylinders belong to it.

"When a consumer is supplied with a cylinder, the consumer is only buying the gas contained in it, and not the cylinder itself. This is in line with legislation in Malta and in other countries in order to protect the interest of the end consumer."