On Wednesday afternoon, a 30-year old Hungarian tourist was arraigned before the Gozo Court, where he admitted the charges brought against him relating to vandalising part of the Ggantija Temples with a stone.

The man had been arrested by Police on Tuesday after a bystander spotted him in the act.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for four years – the maximum period permitted in law – and to a fine of €15,000.

Heritage Malta said in a statement that it “unreservedly condemns” an act of vandalism perpetrated at the Ggantija Archaeological Park, where a Hungarian citizen caused irreparable damage by scratching what appear to be two digits on a megalith located in the Northern structure of this Neolithic monument declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Heritage Malta noted that although other visitors warned the man to stop, he ignored them completely and continued to vandalise the site. Heritage Malta officers identified the culprit when he entered the on-site shop.

It added that when confronted by members of staff and security personnel, the man admitted to scratching the megalith, adding that he “believed such action was permitted, due to the presence of other historical graffiti on the same megalith.” He remained cooperative when the Police arrived on site, even expressing regret, Heritage Malta said.

Heritage Malta concluded by saying that “attempts to remove the inscriptions would compromise the original stone surface patina and create conditions conducive to rapid deterioration. Consequently, the damage has been assessed as permanent and irreversible. However, immediate mitigation intervention will be conducted to prevent further damage.”

Photo: Heritage Malta

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