The never-ending story

Instead of choosing the title The Long And Winding Road To Sant'Antnin for his recent series of three articles, Minister George Pullicino would have been more popular had he named it I Did It My Way.

Mr Pullicino bulldozed his way against the wishes of seven localities - Marsascala, Zejtun, Zabbar, Fgura, Gudja, Ghaxaq and Tarxien - representing one third of the Maltese population, and incessantly tried to belittle and discredit MP George Vella, MEP Joseph Muscat, Astrid Vella on behalf of FAA, Harry Vassallo and Joe Sant, secretary for the Committee Against the Recycling Plant Proposal, as well as the seven Marsascala NGOs.

Could it be that Mr Pullicino wanted to play an April Fool's joke in lambasting everybody who stood in his way to Sant'Antnin, glorifying just the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa), WasteServ Malta Ltd and the Appeals Planning Board, which, incidentally, all fall under his responsibility as Minister of the Environment?

Then again, who's fooling whom?

Minister Pullicino in his articles did not bother to delve into the most fundamental issues that rendered the whole process vitiated, flawed and mocked by everybody.

It is evident Mr Pullicino barely wanted to touch the red hot issue on the Mepa auditor's blocked report.

Is Mr Pullicino wondering, like all of us are doing, what's behind this blocked report?

On receiving the preliminary report on February 7, Mepa, rather than trying to put a lid on it, should have, on behalf of the residents, analysed the wrongdoings, irregularities of the whole Sant'Antnin process and made sure that things are put right. Initially that's why Mepa was set up, to safeguard people's rights against the mighty, not trample on them. Same goes to the Ombudsman's Office.

In order for justice to really prevail, residents expect Mr Pullicino and Sylvana DeBono, Mepa's public relations officer, to publish the auditor's report and one will have the truth and nothing but the truth.