Ramblers want utility, religious services withheld from squatters
The Ramblers Association of Malta (RAM) has called on the government to order utility companies to withdraw all services to squatters who have built their own place on public land, claiming such services were supplied illegally.
It said Mepa should also slap enforcement notices on all these structures, leading to their demolition at the expense of the "owners".
And the association called on the Church to forbid priests from conducting religious services at these dwellings, "thereby condoning their transgression of the seventh commandment".
RAM said it opposes the granting of any concessions to these squatters who now "have the effrontery to expect to be rewarded for breaking the law and stealing land from the public".
They included the Armier squatters, recently again in the news for managing to extract pre-election sanctioning promises from both major political parties.
RAM quoted former Environment Minister George Pullicino as saying in 2001 that "this site is by far the largest single area in the Maltese islands where illegal development has been carried out on a massive scale".
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Dave Alan Caruana
May 8th 2008, 22:33
Having squatters supplied with electricity and water supplies really makes one wonder..
to apply for electric and water service, one must have a 'compliance certificate', issued by Mepa.
So, is Mepa issuing compliance certificates for squatters' illegal property? or is Enemalta supplying electricity and water without the required compliance certificate ..
In this case it should be easy to trace who is to blame (Enemalta or MEPA) and take action.
Charles Camilleri
May 8th 2008, 16:40
I sincerely hope that if ever the Govt. decides to remove the squatters especially those of Armier and St. Thomas Bay it will find the approval of all law abiding citizens including those of the Ramblers Association. One thing i cannot understand is how, once these people are occupying illegal land they were provided with electrical and water services. This has been stopped now which brings the situation of those who abusively obtained the services and those who were refused services on the same site. Is it a case of two weights two measures? I think the first step that the Ramblers Association should have put forward is for the Authorities to stop he illegal supply of these services.