The Labour Party has demanded that the Nationalist Party explain how and why it had defended and backed Jeffrey Pulicino Orlando up to two weeks ago.

The party said that the report by the Mepa auditor issued on Monday confirmed the truth of the accusations made by the MLP in the electoral campaign.

The PN needed to explain why it had publicly defended Dr Pullicino Orlando, when documents showed, from the outset that the planned development at Mistra was a scandal, the MLP said.

It pointed out that in the last days of the electoral campaign, with the blessing of Dr Gonzi and PN general secretary Joe Saliba, Dr Pullicino Orlando had been sent to various MLP activities, including the press conference due to have been given on Television Malta by Dr Sant.

"That the Prime Minister has now announced that he will adopt the recommendations made by the Mepa auditor is an act of political hypocrisy and opportunism. The truth is that up to March 8 the PN desperately needed the votes for Dr Pullicino Orlando , and even if it knew that there was a scandal, it defended him to the end," the MLP said.

Now that the election was past, Dr Gonzi had made a major U-turn and was confirming how the MLP had been correct on what it had said, the MLP said.

Were it not for the MLP's intervention one of Malta's most scenic valleys would have been lost for ever, the party added.

Dr Pullicino Orlando, meanwhile, has not commented on the Mepa report, saying it involved the internal workings of Mepa.

Nature Trust (Malta) in a statement welcomed the Mepa auditor's report.

It urged the government to take all possible measure to reverse the permit decision and ensure that this designated natura 2000 site was protected to the full.

"Nature Trust now hopes that with Mepa under the Prime Minister, the long awaited reform is done without further delay to guarantee environmental protection and equal weighting in future decisions. Moreover the NGO urges the Mepa boards to have more environmentalists appointed on them."