Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1361479
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 14 APRIL 2021 NEWS Suspected drug dealer arraigned after car chase MATTHEW AGIUS A court has heard how a sus- pected drug trafficker from Zab- bar crashed into a roundabout after allegedly leading police on a car chase in the South of Malta. Josef Zammit, 29, was ac- cused before magistrate Don- atella Frendo Dimech of having violently resisted arrest and causing over €2,500 in dam- age to third party vehicles. He was also accused of driving in a dangerous, reckless and neg- ligent manner, failing to stop when ordered to by the police, recidivism and breaching his bail conditions. A charge of cannabis possession was also pressed. Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca told the court that police had placed Zammit un- der surveillance in April, after receiving information that he was involved in drug traffick- ing. He was observed exchang- ing things with a number of people while in his car. An ar- rest warrant was issued. He was spotted by the police whilst on his way to Cospicua yesterday, but refused to stop his car when the police identi- fied themselves. He drove off and led the po- lice on a car chase across Cos- picua, Senglea and Żabbar before crashing into a rounda- bout and suffering a puncture. He was arrested at the scene. A search of his penthouse in Zabbar returned nothing of in- terest, but his father was subse- quently arrested in a side street whilst trying to leave with a "considerable amount" of cash. In court this afternoon, Zam- mit denied the charges. His lawyers, Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri requested bail, citing case law on similar cases. The country was discussing cannabis decriminalisation, Debono said, also pointing out that there are no civilian wit- nesses as all the prosecution's witnesses were police officers. The prosecution objected to the bail request, highlighting the fact that his criminal re- cord is marred with attacks on the police, although none of them seem to have resulted in jail time. The court said it would de- liver a decision on bail from chambers. Josef Zammit, nicknamed 'Marozz', together with his cousin Joseph Brignone, ran a major drug supply ring in the south-east of Malta Zammit had been arrested by the police on 10 May 2020 and has been charged with the ille- gal possession of drugs, weap- ons and money laundering. He was also charged with the statutory rape of a minor – his 15-year-old girlfriend. Josef Zammit, known as 'il-Marozz' JAMES DEBONO AN application for the construction of a massive 10m-high footbridge proposed opposite the McDonalds outlet in Birkir- kara, has been suspended by Infrastructure Malta after nearly 200 objections were pre- sented by residents. Equipped with eight-person capacity lifts for cyclists and people with impaired mobility, the bridge was proposed by IM to "facilitate pedestrian crossings at Valley Road". But residents have largely rejected the idea with objectors describing it as an "eye- sore" which would impair the mobility of pedestrians. MaltaToday is informed that the suspen- sion was requested by IM following the local council's demand for more consul- tation on the project, after it approved a motion presented by minority leader and PN councillor Justin Schembri. Schembri is now calling for the bridge to be scrapped completely, insisting that this goes against the local plan designating the area as a town centre. On its part Infrastructure Malta an- nounced that it is suspending the applica- tion "to carry out further discussions with stakeholder including the local council" and to "consider alternative solutions to improve safety in the important pedestri- an route". Nearly 200 objections were submitted against the footbridge proposed. A resi- dent objecting to the project pointed out that the kind of infrastructure being pro- posed was only appropriate on motorways not in town centres. "This will also make the situation really dangerous for pedes- trians, with the possibility of fatalities, be- cause there will be many pedestrians who will just cross the road not take the trouble to go up and down." Another resident described the bridge as an eyesore and a waste of money, which "could be used to embellish an already ugly area, rather than increase the uglification of this thoroughfare". Other residents identified double park- ing rather than the traffic lights as the main source of traffic in this area. A resident who lives in an apartment in the immediate vicinity of the bridge ob- jected to having such "such a large and ugly structure in front of our building" warning that this will deprive the apart- ments of sunlight. "We will have absolute no privacy in our own residence, since the building proposed will be higher than our windows." Another resident noted that the main goal of building highways like the Central Link project was to take the vehicles out of the village centres. "If this bridge is in need to be built, this means that this mission (to take cars out of the city) was unsuc- cessful… cars should never get the priority over pedestrians in the village cores… We need village cores with less cars and that are more accessible to local communities." Other residents also called for more measures to divert traffic to the Dun Karm bypass. Din l-Art Helwa is objecting to the development warning that it is in breach of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) which seeks to make the Urban Area "an attractive place for people to live, work, play and interact "and that " historic cores should become vibrant and their townscapes harmonious." Reminding that the area is designated as a Primary Town Centre in the local plans Din l-Art Helwa insists that in town cen- tres "the pedestrian is to be given utmost priority, not by pushing the people off the streets to make way for more vehicular flow." Infrastructure Malta considering alternatives to Birkirkara footbridge