Enough reasons for Bondì+ journalist to be indicted

A magistrate yesterday ruled there were enough reasons for the indictment of Jeremy Camilleri, the Bondì+ journalist charged with trespassing at Mnajdra temples.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi gave the ruling at the end of yesterday's sitting in the compilation of evidence against Camilleri, 27, of Sta Lucija, who is pleading not guilty to trespassing at Mnajdra Temples on and before April 9 and causing over Lm500 damage.

Magistrate Mizzi yesterday heard the director of museums, Anthony Pace, explain how the hole in the fence surrounding Mnajdra Temples was first detected the day after the Bondì+ episode showing a trespasser.

Pace explained he participated in the Bondì+ by telephone and watched it on television and saw the footage of someone trespassing inside the temples.

He ordered an inspection of the fence first thing the next morning and a hole, large enough for a person to pass through, was found in one of the panels of the fence by the department's technical team. The hole was photographed and reported to the police.

Pace explained that on April 2 or 3, an inspection of the fence was carried out by the acting project manager, Bernard Brincat, architect Mireille Fsadni and Anthony Debattista, the managing director of Deba Enterprises Company Limited, the company which had installed the fence.

The purpose of the first inspection was to check that the work carried out by Deba Enterprises Company Limited was satisfactory. No damage was detected during the first inspection, Pace said.

But when the fence was inspected on April 11, the day after the Bondì+ programme was aired, the hole was found and the fence was welded temporarily.

Under cross-examination, Pace said he was not in a position to say exactly when the damage was caused and by whom.

He also said that the definitive repairs to the fence had not been carried out as yet because the department was awaiting the outcome of the police report.

Bernard Brincat said the fence had cost Lm39,000 to construct and that one panel cost Lm495, excluding VAT, to replace.

Anthony Debattista confirmed the figures given by Brincat and explained that the damaged panel had to be replaced because the welded part was not rust proof like the rest of the fence.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Carmelo Bartolo is prosecuting.

Dr Emmanuel Mallia, Dr Giannella Caruana Curran and Dr Anthony Cremona are appearing for Camilleri.