A restaurant in which a 50-person brawl was sparked on New Year’s Eve has been ordered to stop operations and handed a hefty fine.
At least three people had to be treated in hospital after the huge fight that began at the Al Ustura restaurant and eventually spilled out onto the street.
A witness, who was injured by a glass bottle thrown across the room, said it had “zero consideration for any COVID regulations”.
The Malta Tourism Authority, which is the entity responsible for ensuring establishments comply with public health rules, said action had been taken.
“Based on the investigations that were carried out following the incident, an enforcement notice has been issued to the catering establishment to stop operations forthwith,” a spokesperson for the authority said yesterday.
Three people had to be treated in hospital after the huge fight
The administrative fine levied for this infraction amounts to €2,329, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson did not clarify whether this would mean that the restaurant’s licence has been taken away permanently or if it will eventually be allowed to re-open.
According to a witness, the restaurant had promised a dinner service complete with belly-dancing, with the pledge that all entertainment would comply with the COVID-19 regulations issued by the authorities.
According to police reports, the fight originally broke out between a group of Syrian nationals at about 1am.
The scene outside the restaurant escalated quickly from that point, with dozens of police officers forced to pull out taser guns for protection.
CCTV footage captured officers subduing a suspect that was trying to get away in a car.
In the aftermath of the brawl, the mayor of St Julian’s called for action to be taken to address enforcement issues.
He stated that this incident was one of many issues that have made the locality into what the mayor dubbed “the wild West of Malta.”