Magistrate Nadine Lia heralded Valletta’s UNESCO world heritage site status as she sentenced a vandal who sprayed graffiti along several walls in the capital city to 450 hours of community service and a fine of €10,000.

Meanwhile, just around the corner from the courtroom, Lia’s father-in-law Pawlu Lia is launching a bid to transform an 18th Century Palazzo into a four-storey office block.

Din L-Art Ħelwa and Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Aħjar have both decried the project for setting a dangerous precedent that will ultimately destroy Valletta’s skyline. The capital city’s local council is also looking into the issue.

On the graffiti case itself, Cesare Citriniti, a 37-year-old Italian from Swieqi, was arrested at the start of the month after CCTV footage caught him scribbling the word ‘Kotone’ along a wall and several other sites.

He pleaded guilty to the charges.

In his sentencing, Lia used the pretext that Valletta is “one of the most concentrated historical areas in the world” to sentence Citriniti to 450 hours of community service and to pay one €7,500 fine and €2,000 in compensation to the Valletta local council.

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