Promoter targeting police for damages

The organisers of a boxing event meant to have taken place on Friday intend to sue the police for up to €20,000 damages after the event was cancelled at the last moment over security concerns. The Boxing Superman II contest was to pit Maltese-Scottish fighter Scott Dixon against Remo Arns of Germany, as well as featuring a number of other local and foreign pugilists. The venue was the Independence Arena, with the event getting under way at 8pm. But according to organiser Abner Abela, he learned about the revocation of the permit about an hour before the event was due to start, leaving about 700 people clutching tickets ranging in price from €15 to €25. Mr Abela said the organisers would now be suing the police, claiming losses of between €10,000 and €20,000. The decision to revoke the permit was based primarily on security concerns, Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit told Times of Malta. He said the decision was taken in the morning, contrary to what the organisers had claimed. He conceded, however, that a day earlier the police had given the go-ahead for the event. Asked what led to the U-turn, Mr Zammit said he had been “deceived” by the organisers “who expected to organise...