Polidano to be charged

Contractor Charles Polidano is expected to be charged next week in connection with illegal excavations carried out on his land in Xemxija, The Times has learnt.

Earlier this month the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said it would be asking the police to institute "urgent criminal proceedings" against Polidano Brothers for failure to comply with an order to rehabilitate its illegally excavated site in Xemxija. Mr Polidano is the managing director.

Mepa had ordered a complete rehabilitation of the site last April following an inquiry led by the authority's own audit officer.

However, last month The Times revealed that no rehabilitation was being carried out.

Mepa then said it would be asking the police to take action. Police sources yesterday confirmed that they had received a letter to prosecute and said the charges had been formulated.

The case will be presented in court next week along with a number of other environmental cases, the sources said.

The illegal excavations at the site had made the area unstable and a mudslide in January left a neighbouring house jutting out perilously after a section of earth beneath its foundations gave way.

In its conclusions the audit report found the authority indirectly responsible for what happened, pointing out that it had left the developer to do as he pleased at the site, which was excavated illegally over a stretch of about six years.

In the meantime, the police are continuing with investigations against the same developer in conjunction with the dumping of construction waste at sea from the Freeport.

Mepa says the activity was not covered by a permit. However, the developer denies this, insisting that the dumping operation was completely legitimate.