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Matthew Vella
Welcomeurope representative Lou Bondi has refused to shoulder any responsibility for the boxes containing explosive material and flares that were left inside a shelter beneath Fort Saint Angelo, following the 1 May celebrations over the Grand Harbour. The authorities too are downplaying the seriousness of the ‘hidden’ fireworks.
Bondi told MaltaToday the fireworks were hidden by a member of the German pyrotechnic team who threatened to leave the island with the fireworks after they had failed to light up on the night of the celebrations.
Bondi said the organising consortium had alerted the police when it realised the German national was attempting to take the fireworks away with him. “The German had transported the fireworks. We suspected he was going to take them back with him and we alerted the police on the matter. When they searched his truck, we saw that he had left without the fireworks, and that he must have hid them somewhere.
“We knew they were missing. We suspected he had taken them and that was the case. When he must have realised we had called the police he stored them in the nearest hiding-place he could find.”
Spokespersons for Gert Hof, the German national in charge of the light show throughout the event, which also included the fireworks, told MaltaToday they were not aware of the discovery of the fireworks.
Lou Bondi told MaltaToday the Welcomeurope consortium is not being investigated, so far: “We have nothing to do with it. We have not been investigated. We were the ones who actually alerted the police to the missing fireworks. It’s not fair to say that anyone is responsible, including Gert Hof. How could we be responsible? The German national was not part of the Hof’s team.”
According to l-orizzont, five boxes containing explosive material and 68 canisters were found inside the shelter. A fireworks enthusiast was reported saying the material was that known as ‘beraq’ (lightning), which generates white or coloured light. Electrical safety fuse ignitors, the wires through which the fireworks are set alight via electric current, were also found nearby.
The newspaper also reported the material was considered to be very dangerous since it was found in large quantities in a restricted space, with possibly disastrous consequences had the explosives been set alight. l-orizzont informed the police of the whereabouts of the explosives and Magistrate Lawrence Quintano is conducting an inquest into the matter.
Home Affairs and Justice spokesperson Joe Azzopardi in a typical non-committal mode told MaltaToday the ministry is not expecting to divulge any details relating to the investigation since the matter is under magisterial inquiry.
All the fireworks material that was not used and which was paid for through public funds, is expected to be given to fireworks enthusiasts.
matthew@newsworksltd.com
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