Palumbo Malta has been ordered to pay five car owners a total of €1,380 in damages after establishing that their cars were damaged by specks of paint from the shipyard.

The case was instituted by Gasan Mamo Insurance after it paid its clients for the damages caused. 

It was claimed that the cars, parked in Vittoriosa and Cospicua, were damaged by fine paint blown by the wind from the shipyard between January 6 and February 15, 2013.

Read: Cars damaged by Palumbo works, residents claim

The shipyard had denied the claims, insisting that no spray painting took place between those dates and its facility was distant from where the cars were parked, and covered.

But court-appointed chemicals expert Prof. George Peplow established that the specks of paint on the cars were identical to those used by the shipyard on a ship in Dock 4, the Grande Brasile. 

It also resulted that several Cottonera residents had complained to the police about similar pecks on their cars at the time.

Weather conditions on the days when the paint was used were such that the specks of paint could have been carried by the prevailing wind. 

Prof. Peplow examined specks lifted from more than 500 vehicles.

The damage to the cars was also confirmed by court expert Joseph Zammit and insurance surveyors.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale therefore ordered the shipyard to pay the insurance company €1,380 as well as court costs.