Four monti hawkers and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, which represents them, yesterday filed a judicial protest in court claiming that they were suffering damages due to the revocation of a monti licence of another hawker.

The judicial protest was filed by the UHM, Stephen Antoine Buhagiar, Mario Casa, Renald Attard and Christopher Micallef against hawker Alan Debattista, the director of the Commerce Services Section within the Communications and Competitiveness Ministry, the Investments, Industry and Information Technology Minister, the Communications and Competitiveness Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed.

In their protest, they explained that on 18 May 2007, the UHM, on behalf of all monti hawkers, signed an agreement with Investments, Industry and Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt and Parliamentary Secretary for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed Edwin Vassallo on the permanent relocation of the Valletta open-air market.

They said that on Wednesday, Mr Buhagiar, Mr Casa, Mr Attard and Mr Micallef received a warrant of prohibitory injunction filed by Mr Debattista, stopping them from setting up their stalls in Merchants’ Street.

In his application for a warrant of prohibitory injunction – which was provisionally upheld by the court – Mr Debattista complained that he had his monti licence withdrawn and this, he claimed, was done illegally and in breach of the Maltese laws.

In their judicial protest, Mr Buhagiar, Mr Casa, Mr Attard and Mr Micallef said that they were not involved in the withdrawal of the said licence and that it was not fair that they had to suffer financial damages just because, it is claimed, the licence was withdrawn illegally.

They said they were indirectly suffering the consequences of their decision and held them responsible for damages they are sustaining as a result.

Dr Ian Spiteri Bailey and Dr Ingrid Bianco signed the writ.