Hunters on the warpath over court report on shooting incident

The secretary-general of hunting lobby FKNK, Lino Farrguia, has threatened to take MaltaToday and The Times of Malta to court for having reported a court sentence in which a hunter was acquitted of negligently causing harm to his friend, while hunting in a bird sanctuary.

Farrugia claimed that FKNK member Darren Bonnici, 31, from Santa Lucia - acquitted of causing grievous injuries to Kyle Gili from Zabbar after negligently shooting the victim in the head - was "hunting on perfectly legal hunting ground."

MaltaToday also reported that Bonnici was found guilty of hunting within the boundaries of a bird sanctuary, Il-Foss in the limits of Zabbar, and of being in possession of weapons and ammunition inside the same sanctuary, and sentenced to a six-month imprisonment suspended for one year.

Farrugia claimed that the Times omitted to report the hunter's acquittal of these charges.

"Both papers' anti-hunting and anti-hunters sentiments are no secret. The FKNK will seek legal redress against both papers and their editors, since in the FKNK's opinion these unprofessional acts are a continuation of the orchestrated anti-hunting campaign, which may not lack political influence, ongoing since March, and which gained momentum after Malta's general elections," Farrugia said in a statement.

Contacted by MaltaToday, Farrugia said that the FKNK had still to consult its legal counsel on what action to take.

"I don't know what action we'll take. We'll speak to our lawyer and see how to proceed."

When challenged on what juridical interest the FKNK had with respect to Bonnici, who happens to be an FKNK member, and his case, Farrugia accused MaltaToday of pursuing an anti-hunting editorial line.