A group of Marsascala residents, including the local council minority leader John Baptist Camilleri, have been acquitted by the Court of all charges brought against them in a sitting held this morning, Moviment Graffitti has said

NGO Moviment Graffitti said that residents were charged with "absurd accusations of hanging banners 'illegally' and of collecting funds for their activities in an illegal manner. The Magistrate immediately dismissed the case against them during the first Court sitting this morning." The Marsascala residents are active citizens calling for improvements in their locality as well as calling out the greed of certain businesspeople who are robbing them of their quality of life and public spaces, the NGO said.

"In a case of unacceptable intimidation, the police had started summoning persons involved in this group and charging them with these ridiculous accusations, following reports brought against them by businessman Eric Abela. Abela failed to show up in court today to sustain his baseless accusations."

"Eric Abela holds business interests in Marsascala square and has drawn the ire of residents after it came to light that, through his participation in a committee illegally constituted by the mayor, he was redesigning the square and its surrounding to serve his business interests."

The committee was chaired by Eric Abela's cousin, PL election candidate Ray Abela. Since then, the committee has been dissolved after residents revealed that it was set up in breach of applicable regulations, but they have also warned that the plans drawn up by this committee will now be pushed via an MTA design contest for the locality, the NGO said.

"In spite of all intimidation against them, the residents will continue in their relentless activism and are now leading the battle against the proposed Yacht Marina in the locality."

"Their organisation and determination shows the way forward to all Maltese and Gozitan residents who want to unite and fight against those forces that want to steal our spaces and destroy our environment for their personal gain."

This newsroom had first reported about the situation in Marsascala in May 2021. Residents had, at the time, told The Malta Independent on Sunday that the Marsascala Regeneration Committee that was set up was made up of individuals with self-serving business interests in the locality, and how they had opened talks with state entities for massive changes to areas such as Marsascala's main square behind their backs as residents, and without informing the local council itself."