Updated | Palumbo turns on Senglea residents with asset seizure threat

Palumbo shipyard has turned on residents from the Senglea Residents Association after the latter filed police reports over noises emanating from the shipyard at night… by threatening an asset seizure unless the SRA pays the company’s court expenses.

SRA spokeswoman Anna Spiteri received the letter requesting payment for legal expenses from Palumbo’s lawyer Matthew Brincat, when it was the police that filed charges over the noise.

Palumbo accused the SRA of filing a “malicious” report aimed at financially damaging Palumbo Shipyards. It also accused them of damaging the entire maritime sector in Malta.

“It was the police who took Palumbo to court and prosecuted, not the residents. The work on the ship MV Hamal at the shipyard continued throughout the court case and they moved another ship from one dock to another, which actually went against the court’s instructions,” Spiteri told The Times.

But lawyer Matthew Brincat claimed that the company had incurred damages form restrictions imposed by the court on the company’s operations and ship movements within the docks. “Palumbo has every right to sue and recover such damages,” Brincat claimed.

Palumbo has been acquitted of disturbing Senglea residents’ sleep when it could not be proven that the noise was coming from their yard. Police investigated residents’ complaints and concluded that the noise was emanating from a generator powering the tugboat Hamal, which led them to file charges against Palumbo.

Readings taken by a court expert from the bedrooms of Senglea residences who complained about the noise showed that with the windows open, the noise levels exceeded the WHO’s threshold of 30 decibels. Since the charges filed by the police against Palumbo operations were specific to operations of the Hamal, residents’ grievances against the company’s overall operations could not be taken into account.

AD: Palumbo's threats 'despicable and unacceptable'

Alternattiva Demokratika condemned the "despicable and unacceptable" threats.

"On behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika, I express solidarity with Anna Spiteri and Senglea residents who have been threatened by the bullies at
Palumbo shipyards for exercising their civic rights," AD chairman Arnold Cassola said.

"The bullies at Palumbo seem to think that people should just accept whatever they do. Palumbo are showing that they couldn't care less about the residents and have no inkling of the concept of corporate social responsibility. Instead of trying to find a solution and accepting that they should change certain practices in respect of their neighbours, Palumbo have sunk low and resorted to bullying."