A group of trade fair exhibitors, members of the Trade Fair Exhibitors Association have filed a judicial protest against six association officials.

The protest, signed by George Hyzler, follows a public declaration by Anthony Galea, Paul Abela, John J. Camilleri, Darren De Domenico, George Demajo and Raphael E. Micallef, that they have set up TFEA Ltd, using the association’s funds to further their company’s commercial interests.

The exhibitors said in their protest that it has been reported that the TFEA received substantial sums of money from the sale of shares held by the Trade Fair Corporation in the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre Ltd of Ta’ Qali.

These funds were made available to the officials’ private company to allow them to rent the disused Trade Fair Grounds in Naxxar for five years.

The exhibitors’ insisted the funds should never have been used to support the officials’ private interests and claimed that the money was put at risk since the Trade Fair Grounds had no valid commercial permits or trade licences. Moreover, the MEPA 2006 local plan specifically excluded trade fairs from the area in question.

The exhibitors called upon the officials to refund the funds to the TFEA and to abide by their statutory duties as officials of a voluntary organisation.

Their actions, they said, constituted a breach of their fiduciary duties.