A 32-year-old from Kalkara was yesterday cleared of assaulting and seriously injuring another man.

Christopher Kokavessis was cleared of assaulting and slightly injuring John Cini from Qormi. During proceedings, the court heard how John Cini had claimed that he and his brother Joe had argued about the family business and that he (his brother) had hired some people to intimidate him and that one of them was the accused.

The accused and the two brothers ended up having a showdown in which John Cini was allegedly punched by Kokavessis. The court heard all those involved testify and said that the prosecution should have produced more eyewitnesses, since the evidence was not enough to support a conviction. The court, presided over by magistrate Miriam Hayman therefore cleared the accused of all charges. Police inspector Maria Stella Cutajar prosecuted while Dr Kris Busietta and Dr Jason Azzopardi appeared for the defence.