Judicial protest over use of Marsa quays

Three companies yesterday filed a judicial protest claiming that although they rented out two quays in Marsa other companies were allowed to berth ships alongside them.

Salv Bezzina & Sons Limited, Bezzina Ship Repair Yard Limited and Bezzina Maritime Services Limited filed the protest, in the First Hall of the Civil Court, against the Malta Maritime Authority and Cassar Ship Repair Yard Limited.

The three companies said that, in terms of two separate agreements dated September 1, 1996, they had been allocated two quays in Marsa - one at Coal Wharf and the other at Church Wharf. The quays were outlined in a plan included in the agreements which were valid for 15 years.

However, despite the fact that the two quays were rented out by the three companies, Cassar Ltd regularly docked ships it was repairing by the rented quays without asking for authorisation. Often the ships remained docked for months and, as a result, the three companies had nowhere to berth their ships and this was financially detrimental to them. The companies claimed that although they paid Lm12,000 a year in rent for the two quays they were being stopped from making use of them and this was being done with the blessing of the authority.

The companies also claimed that they were the only three companies in Malta who paid rent to use the quays when other companies, their competitors, were being allowed to use similar quays without payment. This was of serious prejudice to them and in breach of laws that regulated fair competition.

They called on the authority to take the necessary action to ensure that other companies were not authorised to berth on the rented quays and to ensure that all ship-repair companies were treated equally so they could compete fairly.

The companies also called on Cassar Ltd to stop berthing its ships in the rented area and held both the company and the authority liable in damages.

Dr Joseph Schembri and Dr Stefan Camilleri signed the protest.