A Valletta hawker was yesterday acquitted of selling pirated DVDs and CDs after he could not be positively identified.

Alan Debattista, 30, had been charged after Grace Borg, a shop owner, asked the police to investigate and take action against him for allegedly selling the fake products on December 17, 2007, in Valletta.

Mr Debattista denied the charges and said he had only sold original items.

During the proceedings, Ms Borg presented some photographs, which she said she took of the stall where her employees had bought the items.

She had kept her distance when taking the photos so as not to be seen and as a result could not identify the person selling and neither could the employees.

A court appointed expert, Martin Bajada, had confirmed that the products in question were non-compliant.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman said that no one could positively identify the accused as the person who sold them the fake products and acquitted Mr Debattista.