Protesting hunters to remain in custody until court decides on bail

The court of magistrates will decide tomorrow whether to grant bail to nine of the 10 hunters currently held under arrest for staging an illegal protest in Valletta on Independence Day.

This will mean the accused will have spent a total of 10 nights in custody.


The compilation of evidence against the hunters started today with Magistrate Anthony Vella hearing testimony from Times of Malta reporter Ivan Martin, cameraman Chris Sant Fournier and video cameraman Mark Zammit Cordina.

The witnesses described how a subgroup of the protestors, after asking “are you for us or against us” took umbrage at their silence and set upon them.

The witnesses all described incidents of bottles and food being thrown chanting “fuck Joseph Muscat” and “Joseph Muscat is a clown”. 

Sant Fournier said that he heard an unidentified person saying they would “shoot Joseph Muscat.”


Sant Fournier told the court how he was set upon by a group of hunters and was poked in the eye. Both witnesses described how one protestor, David Spagnol allegedly made a throat-cutting gesture towards them.

Inspector Jurgen Vella also identified Spagnol as being present during the protest and exhibited photos taken by Chris Sant Fournier.


Inspector Steven Mallia told the court how he approached one protestor, Arnold Farrugia, about an imitation shotgun that he was carrying.

He said that he was informed that some were going to continue the protest at Buskett and Girgenti, and that in fact, when he went to the Girgenti area, he recognised several protestors from Valletta.


Zammit Cordina testified that as he was filming near court one of the accused “put his hand over the camera and pushed him.” He also identified Arnold Farrugia as the person holding the fake shotgun.

The hunters were denied bail by the magistrate during the last hearing and remanded in custody. They were charged with forming part of an illegal protest, conspiracy to commit a crime and insulting the Prime Minister and government of Malta.



Two of the men had also been charged with the possession of an imitation firearm, three were charged with throwing stones and another two hunters were charged with assaulting three journalists.



The tenth hunter arrested during the protest, 26-year-old Christian Aquilina, stands charged with inciting others to commit a crime, by posting an inflammatory Facebook post about the protest.

Aquilina will appear in court tomorrow.


The events took place follow the Prime Minister’s abrupt decision to suspend the hunting season

The nine hunters – Arnold Farrugia, 21, of Dingli; Brian Grech, 21, of Rabat; David Spagnol, 44, of Marsascala; Gabriel Farrugia, 19, of Mosta; Krist Callus, 23, of Zurrieq; Alan Mizzi, 22, of Zebbug, Gozo; Simon Camilleri, 26, of Zabbar; Oliver Borg, 42, of Marsascala; and Josmar Buhagiar, 28, of Zabbar – are pleading not guilty to charges of forming part of an illegal protest during which they showed disrespect to the government, conspiring to commit a crime, inciting others to break the law and insulting the prime minister.