Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541179
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 NOVEMBER 2025 NEWS You're evicted,' landlord tells tenants to the Ħamrun police station to file a report. When confronted by Malta- Today about this incident, Sam- mut denied threatening anyone with a knife. He claimed that he only grabbed the knife because he didn't have a screwdriver and wanted to change the locks. Belongings thrown out in garbage bags On this occasion, the police were slightly more helpful, sending two police officers to the flat so that the tenants could collect their belongings. When the tenants and police officers arrived at the property, they found all of their belongings in garbage bags and suitcases in the hallway. Kamal told this newspaper that the tenants also found cash missing from their wallets and the police officers present told them to include this in their po- lice report. But even as they faced evic- tion, the police officers seemed in a rush to get back to the po- lice station, telling the tenants to pack everything and leave. When asked, Sammut denied taking any money, and insist- ed that he placed some items in garbage bags because there weren't enough suitcases. He al- so clarified that he was the one who paid for the garbage bags, and that he was accompanied by "cleaners." That night, Kamal's friend from work offered them a store- room to keep their belongings, while they slept in two cabs. Two of the roommates worked as cab drivers. Kamal said the police sergeant informed them that they will re- ceive a call when the police have an update on the case. By the time of publication, the tenants are yet to receive this call. "I've never had such an ex- perience in Malta," Kamal told MaltaToday, still in disbelief that he ended up in such dire straits. Kamal admitted that he and his roommates are cynical about any prospect of justice being done: "We accept that we are TCNs and we cannot get an- ything out of it." Solidarjeta aiding tenants Aiding Kamal and his room- mates to find justice is tenant union Solidarjeta. Upon hear- ing of the case, the union sent a legal letter to Sammut, although he simply responded by saying that the tenants are lying to the union. The union's treasurer and secretary, Gabriel Apap al- so spoke to MaltaToday about the known practice of landlords getting their tenants to sign two separate lease agreements for the same property. He explained that in such cases, only the registered con- tract is valid, and tenants can claim the extra money they paid through a dispute tribunal as the union had done in the past. On the rent hike which ex- ceeded the 5% annual cap, Apap stated that Solidarjeta has raised the issue with the authorities in the past. A parliamentary petition has recently been launched against such practices. Solidarjeta in- sisted that this loophole must be plugged in order to prevent the steep rise of rents on the is- lands. Kamal told this newspaper that the tenants also found cash missing from their wallets and the police officers present told them to include this in their police report