Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/212250
22 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2013 'The top floor was lit on NYE and human activity clearly seen' – witness Eyewitness recounts under oath how on NYE he saw the top floor of the Malta Enterprise offices lit and human activity visible inside as moving shadows were clearly seen from the apartment he was in CHRIS MANGION AN eyewitness gave evidence in court on Friday recounting how he personally saw "the top floor of the Malta Enterprise offices lit and human activity visible inside as moving shadows were clearly seen from the apartment I was in". Taking the witness stand, MaltaToday journalist Jurgen Balzan explained how in January 2012, Mal- taToday reported that a number of people had seen the top floor of the lavish Malta Enterprise offices in Gwardamangia lit on New Year's Eve until the early hours of New Year's Day. Balzan was one of the eyewitnesses who had seen the lights from an apartment he was staying in. The apartment is situated in Msida Creek, opposite the ME building. Balzan added he informed his editor, who instructed him to verify this with the finance min- ister and ME, and asked whether the event was witnessed and confirmed by other persons. "The finance ministry told me that they were informed by Malta Enterprise that no party took place, however no reply from the agency was forthcoming," Balzan told the court. Moreover, the official ME denial only came around nine days later, after he contacted then ME chairman Alan Camilleri by phone. The eyewitness added that when Camilleri was spoken to, he first stated that he had no knowledge of the questions sent and when asked directly on the alleged activity he said that he had no comment to make. Jurgen Balzan said that after reporting these reactions, MaltaToday took up ME's offer to visit the premises where he personally verified that the lights he saw on New Year's Eve came from the agency's boardroom situated on the top floor of the building. "Although I was shown every corner of the building – including the toilets – the only place I was not allowed to enter was the chairman's office adjacent to the board room," the witness said. Balzan was giving evidence in a libel suit filed by former Malta Enterprise chairman Alan Camilleri against MaltaToday editor in chief Saviour Balzan and journalist Jurgen Balzan over what he claimed to be slanderous and fabricated stories. Cassola praises signatories Arnold Cassola FOLLOWING the PN leaders' dec- laration on Thursday stating that the PN was against the Spring hunting referendum, Green Party leader Arnold Cassola said that Simon Busuttil has allied himself with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in opposition of a spring hunting referendum. He said that Alternattiva Demokratika would like to salute the 20,000plus independently minded Maltese who have shown that they are independent minded and can judge an issue on its own merits. He also added: "AD would also like to thank all the NGOs who together with AD form the Coalition to Abolish Spring Hunting for their altruistic work in favour of Maltese present and future generations, as well as the MaltaToday who have supported the collection of signatures."