Fears of sabotage

Controversy continues to surround the filming of Steven Spielberg's new film. Fears of sabotage have now been quenched as police claim that flames were the result of a negligent accident. From a report by Karl Schembri for the Sunday Telegraph:

When a brand new Mercedes truck full of equipment for Steven Spielberg's controversial new film went up in flames last week, it did not take long for rumours of terrorism and sabotage to sweep the set in Malta. There were already security fears surrounding the politically charged project, which is inspired by Israel's reaction to the 1972 Olympic Games massacre in Munich. Then, last Monday, the 130,000 euro (£90,000) truck, imported from Germany, and its cargo of filming equipment were destroyed by a fire that forced the driver to flee for his life. "I was parking when I heard a bang coming from the back," John Mifsud, the Maltese driver, told investigators. "In a few seconds the truck was ablaze and I managed to jump out unharmed."

"It was pure negligence but nothing serious," according to an associate close to Spielberg's production team. His spokesman, Deborah Wuliger, said that the spectacular explosion was an accident and it had not delayed the production. The Malta Film Commission was also playing down the incident, lest the bad publicity deter other Hollywood directors for whom the island can double for a range of Mediterranean destinations. In recent weeks, Malta has been bedecked in Israeli flags, Italian signposts and Spanish street names to suit Spielberg's requirements.

Why Spielberg should avoid Malta - Wired Temples