Two directors of a company were yesterday fined Lm5,000 each while a crane operator was fined Lm500 after admitting to being negligent on the workplace when a workman was crushed to death by concrete slabs.

During yesterday’s sitting, the prosecution, led by Police Inspector Trevor Sammut and Occupational Health and Safety Authority Inspector David Saliba, withdrew the first charge – that of causing the death of Dennis Gatt, 46, from Birkirkara, through negligence.

The incident had occurred on 6 December 2004 at GMF Pre Cast Ltd in Maghtab when Mr Gatt, an employee of the company, was crushed between two concrete slabs which had fallen off a tower crane.

Two of the company’s directors, Carmelo Sammut, 67, from Birkirkara, and George Portelli, 44, from Mosta, as well as Martin Bonnici, 53, from Sliema, who was operating the tower crane at the time of the incident, were charged over the incident.

Mr Sammut and Mr Portelli pleaded guilty to failing to ensure health and safety at the workplace, failing to adhere to workplace health and safety regulations and to disobeying the orders of Occupational Health and Safety Authority officials.

Mr Bonnici pleaded guilty to failing to ensure proper health and safety for himself and other employees on the day in question.

Magistrate Saviour Demicoli, who presided over the case, considered their early guilty plea as well as their police records and the fact that they cooperated with the investigators.

He fined the directors Lm5,000 each while Mr Bonnici was fined Lm500. They were also ordered to pay Lm537 in court expenses between them.

Dr Roberto Montalto and Dr Edward Zammit Lewis appeared for the accused.