A former FKNK council member has landed in court after allegedly trapping finches illegally just a day before the season officially opened.David Briffa was caught on camera setting up nets and cages at a trapping site, leading to authorities seizing 14 birds from his possession, including protected species like Eurasian chaffinches and hawfinches as reported by Times of Malta.Testifying in court, Wild Birds Registration Unit official Cassie Xiberras Grech confirmed that while Briffa did hold a general trapping licence, the incident took place outside the legal trapping window.The footage sparked the case was captured by wildlife crime officer Fiona Burrows from NGO Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), who said she witnessed a man setting up nets and entering a nearby hide on 19th October, 2024.After alerting police, who were tied up at the time, officers later went on site and reportedly found active trapping taking place, confiscating nets and caged finch decoys.Briffa was subsequently removed from the FKNK council following the incident.This isn’t his first run-in with the law either, 16 years ago, he was fined €100 after attempting to assault a CABS media officer and swearing in public.Inspector Eliott Mago is leading the prosecution. Briffa is being represented by lawyer Amadeus Cachia. Ishmael Psaila is defence lawyer.Photo credits Committee Against Bird Slaughter•