Court hears of second hunter in area where flamingos were shot

A court hearing evidence against an alleged poacher who is accused of shooting four protected flamingos has been told that there was another hunter at the scene.

Miguel Zammit, 23 from Gzira is accused of illegally killing the four specimens the protected bird species. He is denying the charges, which carry a potential fine of €5000 or imprisonment of up to a year, saying he had been aiming at ducks which he didn’t manage to recover from the sea.

Magistrate Elaine Mercieca heard a police sergeant explain how, on 2 October at around 7:30 am, he had received a report that four flamingos had been shot near ta’ Fra Ben in Qawra. He had observed a blue van parked facing the sea with a man carrying a shotgun sitting in the back with a dog.

Shortly afterwards police from the Administrative Law Enforcement and the District Police went to the scene, he said. However, the witness did not recognise the person in the dock as having been in the van, saying that he had only spotted him in the general area.

The witness said he recognised Zammit as having been spotted near a tower in the area.

The man in the blue van had been carrying a shotgun in his lap outside of its gun case, he said, answering a question put to him by defence lawyer Alex Miruzzi.

After the sergeant had finished testifying, prosecuting police inspector Elliott Magro informed the court that the prosecution had no further evidence to exhibit.

The case continues on November 23 for the inspector’s cross-examination.