Despite what appeared like a temporary truce over Carmel Cacopardo, the former investigative officer at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority Audit Office, Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja and auditor officer Joe Falzon are still poles apart on the issue.
Mr Calleja is accusing the audit officer of not delivering while using Mr Cacopardo as an excuse, and Mr Falzon insists that Mepa's resistance to his investigator being reinstated is part of a ploy to render his office "innocuous".
Commenting on the latest developments, Mr Calleja pointed out that an agreement reached with the auditor last Friday would finally see some work done at the Audit Office.
Since he was reappointed, Mr Calleja complained, the auditor had not done any work. "I had to personally chase him as some complainants ended up knocking on my door," he said. "I just cannot understand why the audit office cannot work without Mr Cacopardo.
"Prior to the appointment of the investigating officer, Mr Falzon had drawn up 14 reports in two months when he had first taken on the job."
When contacted, Mr Falzon acknowledged that no work was done following his reappointment in February.
He said that besides the fact that Mepa itself dragged its feet on the provision of a proper secretary for the office, he wanted the matter on the investigating officer resolved before starting work again.
"I wanted to know how this thing with Mr Cacopardo will be sorted out before I carry on with the job.
"As for the 14 reports, it may well be so. I don't really keep count but the investigations that are being carried out now are much more demanding. People are more aware of the office and its function now.
"I have accepted to carry on with the job because I feel the matter concerning Mr Cacopardo has escalated unnecessarily.
"However, I made it clear that I would not be waiting for long."
Last Friday, the auditor and the board agreed he would start working again until the government decides on a set of proposals made by the Ombudsman.
Among other things, the Ombudsman proposed that the Audit Office should fall under his wing administratively; a move which should give more autonomy to the audit office.
In fact, Mr Falzon insists that the point at issue is precisely his office's autonomy.
Mepa had tried to turn this office into an innocuous organ from the very beginning, he said.
"The issue regarding Mr Cacopardo is just the latest development," he stressed, recalling how Mepa had insisted that all of his reports remain confidential, not even divulged to the complainants in their entirety.
On this point, however, the chairman was adamant: "Our main issue with Mr Cacopardo is his conflict of interest, which stems from the fact that he has publicly questioned the credentials of the man appointed director for environment protection", a post for which Mr Cacopardo himself had applied for.
"We find this to be a very serious issue. Had he simply filed a complaint with the Ombudsman, it would have been another matter altogether, but with his public statements, Mr Cacopardo has rendered his position untenable.
"As things stand, we are not confident Mr Cacopardo will have no bias when investigating one of Mepa's crucial directorates".
As for the issue Mepa has taken with Mr Cacopardo's chairing of a meeting organised by Alternattiva Demokratika dealing with Mepa, Mr Calleja insisted that the point was not that the activity was a political one but that the meeting dealt specifically with Mepa's structures.
"We have MPs, councillors and activists at Mepa. There is no problem on that plane and, besides, that point was a minor one, the major point is Mr Cacopardo's conflict of interest," Mr Calleja said.