Investigation into why Spinola Bay public screen was displaying porn

Fisheries Department says it is probing incident that left tourists speechless

An investigation is under way into pornographic footage that was displayed on a public screen in St Julian’s earlier this week, a spokesperson for the fisheries ministry said.

On Wednesday evening, Italian tourists were left “speechless” after spotting a public screen playing pornographic material in Spinola Bay.

Posting a video of their reaction to Instagram, the pair were bewildered at the sight as they struggled to contain their laughter.

“I’m speechless,” the woman holding the camera said in shock.

Tourists strolling across Spinola Bay came across a video showing hardcore porn. Video: Alessia Improta/Instagram

Close to the St Julian’s police station, Spinola Bay is frequented by many tourists making their way to nearby restaurants, clubs or sites.

The device that houses the screen where the footage was shown is known as an automatic weighing and labelling machine (AWL) and is used for weighing fish, the spokesperson said, responding to questions sent by Times of Malta.

“The incident is being investigated to determine the occurrence accordingly,” the spokesperson said, confirming that such incidents have never happened in the past.

Administered through a private company, AWLs can be found across Malta and Gozo and allow the department of fisheries and aquaculture to receive the recorded data.

Next to the machine’s screen, a sign explains how one can weigh the fish using the machine.

The automatic weighing and labelling machine used to weigh fish, where pornography was shown on the screen. Photo: Matthew MirabelliThe automatic weighing and labelling machine used to weigh fish, where pornography was shown on the screen. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.