The heirs of a 21-year-old policeman who drowned after driving off a quay in Ċirkewwa last December are considering their next step in their demand for compensation after the authorities denied responsibility for the incident.

The father of PC Kurt Gauci, Raymond, his mother Sandra, and siblings Kevin and Claire Marie, filed a judicial letter on February 2 claiming that a long list of entities were responsible for the incident. These included the Prime Minister, five ministers, the Attorney General, Police Commissioner, ferry captain and crew, and the Mellieħa local council.

The family accused them of negligence and lack of observance of basic safety rules.

Contacted yesterday, the family’s lawyer, Emy Bezzina, said they were considering their next step, which could include further legal action.

Constable Gauci, 21, from Victoria, had wanted to catch the ferry to Gozo when he drove his dark green Hyundai Accent onto the wrong quay and plunged into the sea early in the morning of December 2.

In their individual replies to the judicial letter, the entities said they were not responsible for the young man’s death and accused the family of making unfounded claims aimed at sensationalising the tragic story.

The Attorney General, in his reply on behalf of the Prime Minister, ministers and the police, said they were neither directly nor indirectly responsible for the fatal incident.

Ferry captain David Attard and the crew said they were not to blame for what happened.

In denying responsibility, the Mellieħa council and mayor said the quay was not even within the council’s boundaries.

Also saying they could not be held responsible were police officers at the Mellieħa police station, the chairman and board members of Transport Malta, the Customs Comptroller as well as Polidano Group and Terracore Limited, which are doing works on the Ċirkewwa terminal project.