Momentum said Saturday it has received an official reply to its Freedom of Information request from Transport Malta regarding permits issued to political parties for street banners. Transport Malta stated that no political party has requested any permits for street banners in the last 5 years, except for the one from Momentum, which was rejected.

The permit requested was for a public banner promoting an event on animal rights and dignity that took place last Saturday. Transport Malta has refused to issue a permit to Momentum on security grounds. Meanwhile, the Ombudsman confirmed that this case is under investigation by its office.

Momentum's Matthew Agius said, "It is deeply concerning that our request for a simple banner promoting a public event on animal rights was refused on vague 'security grounds'. It is strange that we only found out about this when we requested the FOI, and despite presenting alternative sites. We hope that the Ombudsman will help establish clear guidelines to create a fair and transparent system for political advertising in Malta. Currently, the government maintains absolute dominance over political campaigning on our roads, with numerous billboards displaying budget-related propaganda."

Momentum said it looks forward to a more democratic society that truly upholds freedom of speech.