A service station has initiated legal proceedings against a fuel supplier which mistakenly discharged diesel in the unleaded petrol tanks.

Joston Company Limited director Mario Mizzi, operator of the Yellow Service Station in Floriana, filed a judicial protest against Enemed Co. Ltd, holding it responsible for damages. Enemed is the State-owned fuel procurement and distribution company that was formerly Enemalta’s petroleum division.

Mr Mizzi said that, last Friday, an Enemed employee called the station to supply fuel, as the weekend was approaching. However, diesel was supplied instead of unleaded petrol, which, in turn, led to a large number of complaints from clients about problems with their vehicles’ engines.

He said the mistake meant that motorists who filled their tanks between Friday and Tuesday at 4pm damaged not only their fuel tanks but also their engines. These were holding the fuel station responsible for the damages they had suffered.

Motorists who filled their tanks between Friday and Tuesday damaged them and also their engines

A motorist who filled his fuel tank over the weekend told Times of Malta his car started losing power and also misfiring.

Mr Mizzi insisted that, the responsibility for the damage should be borne by Enemed, since the mistake was made by one of its employees, who had also admitted it.

To add insult to injury, Mr Mizzi added, the Malta Resources Authority had ordered the company to close its fuel station until it provided documentation from a certified engineer that the unleaded fuel tank was free of diesel. This was a big expense and Enemed should foot the bill, Mr Mizzi said.

As a result of the mistake, not only had the company lost out on business, given the strategic location of its fuel station next to MCP car park, but it was also facing hefty claims for damage, Mr Mizzi said. He pointed out that Enemed had been approached to settle the damages but it was denying any fault for the damages sustained.

Lawyers Charlon Gouder and Joseph Gerada signed the protest.