Qrendi Mayor Stands Up For Resident, Says €215 Towing Fine Should Be Refunded
Qrendi mayor David Schembri has defended an elderly resident who was fined €215 after his car was towed while he was in hospital and said his fine should be refunded.
Bertu, a Qrendi resident with disabilities and medical problems, shared his story with Lovin Malta last week. He said he was hospitalised last August before the Santa Marija festa and was therefore unable to move his parked car, which had to be towed to make way for festa-related activities.
The authorities towed his car to Ħaż-Żebbuġ and Bertu had to pay a €215 fine to retrieve it.
Schembri told Lovin Malta that Bertu approached him soon after the incident. On 21st August, the mayor emailed the police commissioner to urge him not to give the elderly man a citation, presenting his medical certificates and hospital referrals as evidence.
Towards the end of November, the mayor sent the police commissioner a second email requesting that the €215 that Bertu paid to retire his car be refunded to him.
He said the police didn’t acknowledge his email until earlier today (11th November), a day after Lovin Malta published its story about Bertu.
“It is 100% a genuine case; his hospital referral sheet shows he was hospitalised from 11th to 16th August,” Schembri said.
He noted that Bertu lives alone and that, in either case, his focus would have been on his health, not his car.
“The citation should not have been given and the money should be refunded,” he said.
Do you think Bertu’s fine should be rescinded?
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