(Adds Liquigas statement)

A judicial protest was this morning filed by Easygas Malta Ltd, against Resources Minister George Pullicino because of a statement issued by the ministry on October 18.

Easygas said it felt offended by the statement issued by the ministry in the context of action that was being taken by gas distributers who were refusing to distribute cylinders and were blocking Liquigas trucks from distributing the cylinders itself.

The distributors, Easygas said, were protesting because Liquigas was stopping them from distributing the cylinders of both companies.

Easygas said that, in his statement, the minister referred to an agreement which Easygas had no idea about. The same statement also referred to a draft legal notice but no draft legal notice which Easygas had seen had made any reference to the gas cylinder distribution method. It only got to know about this notice from the ministry's statement.

Easygas said that the proposal as described by the government was discriminatory in nature and went against the fair trade principle.

It prejudiced new operators and the free choice principle from which consumers should benefit.

Easygas held the minister responsible for damages.

LIQUIGAS STATEMENT

In a statement issued in the evening, Liquigas said that contrary to what Easygas stated, it never obstructed gas distributors in their distribution of cylinders of both companies.

"As a matter of fact, Liquigas has consistently and unconditionally supplied distributors with its gas cylinders in line with the Competition Office Directive of last December to guarantee customers their right of choice," the company said.