The owners of a petrol station in Zurrieq – seven in total - were cleared by a court of selling diesel with a high sulphur content after it ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. 

Tests conducted by a court-appointed expert could not be carried out because the samples taken from diesel pumps in 2009 were not preserved properly, which could have easily led to the possible tampering of court evidence, Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona said.

The magistrate’s ruling was given in the case against Gianni Camilleri, 68, Frangiska Bellizzi, 68, Emanuele Camilleri, 79, Angela Zammit, 80, Marija Caruana, 24, Wigi Camilleri, 76 and Edward Camilleri, 47. All seven had been charged with selling diesel which did not conform to European standards. The petrol station in question is Gaetano Camilleri Service Station in Valletta Road. 

The samples had been taken by Malta Resources Authority inspectors on September 28, 2009. They were found to contain a high sulphur content. More samples were taken some two weeks later and three of four samples were found in breach of regulations on sulphur content.

When the matter was taken to court, the court appointed an expert to examine the samples. It transpired that the company contracted by the MRA to test the samples in 2009, Saybolt Malta, had not properly preserved them and the court expert could not analyse the samples independently. Some of the samples’ seals were found to be broken.

 

Police Inspector Carlos Cordina prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Angie Muscat appeared for the defendants.