PN president requests police, Mepa inquiries
The president of the Nationalist Party has asked the Police Commissioner and the chairman of the planning authority to investigate claims that he exerted undue pressure to be granted development permits for his land in Baħrija.
In separate letters, Victor Scerri said the controversy surrounding the granting of a permit to build a villa on land owned by him and his wife erupted because he was involved in politics.
He said he felt comfortable asking for such an investigation because he knew he had not put any undue pressure on anyone.
"I believe the permits would have been issued to any other common citizen in the same circumstances, as is done regularly, and the controversy just before an election would not have erupted had it been anybody else who was involved," he said.
Dr Scerri said the development process had been going on since 2000 and no one had ever objected before.
The development was revealed by the Labour Party shortly before the June 6 European Parliament elections. Since then, the cannons of various environmental non-governmental organisations have turned against the Malta Environment and Planning Authority for granting the permit.
The environmental organisations called for the Prime Minister's urgent intervention to stop the construction of the house in the Baħrija valley and condemned the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's "flagrant disregard of the structure plan and its policies".
They said its website cited the valley as a special area of conservation for its ecological and scientific importance under the Habitats Directive, pointing out that the watercourse was classified as "one of the most important freshwater habitats in the Maltese islands".
The architect overseeing the development, Robert Musumeci, said last week the new development would replace an old and dangerous residence. It would be built further up the watercourse than the structure it would replace and would have a smaller environmental impact.
No objections had been lodged and the development permit process was completely transparent, formal and legal.
There were no grounds to instil doubts when none were justified, Mr Musumeci had said.
In his letters to Mepa and to the police, Dr Scerri promised his cooperation during the investigations.
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Ray Sultana
Jun 17th 2009, 17:41
Mr Scerri is trying to manipulte public opinion.
The question is not whether he excercised undue pressure on Mepa, but whether Mepa should have issued the permit in one of Malta's most beautiful and important valleys, an OUTSIDE DEVELOPMENT ZONE. Mepa keeps on approving permits in ODZs that go directly against its own policies. The Times reported that Mepa's technical officers recommended refusal 4 times, yet Mepa somehow approved this destruction.
The real scandal is that Mepa can unashamedly approve destruction that the Structure Plan prohibits, and that it can approve destruction that its own technical officers recommend for refusal without giving an explanation.
Mr Musumeci, the fact that no one objects to the issue of a permit does not make it legitimate. The people and NGOs should not be expected to evaluate every application, especially when there are people who are apecifically paid from our taxes to to protect the environment.
The whole issue takes on political significance because the Prime Minister is failing miserably when it comes to his pledge to stamp out development in ODZs and to protect the environment. Now his own party's president seems to be bent to add to this failure.
DISGUSTING!!
a. scerri
Jun 17th 2009, 02:03
@ l. galea:
it has already been stated that this permit was approved in 2007, and before the latest changes to ODZ, and according to the system at the time. You can continue thinking (or remembering) about corruption but get your facts right. I remember the case of a labour mp who did it the other way round: he first did the works, and then when things were done he asked for sanctioning!!!
@ a. dalli:
Wake up man. this permit was apparently issued two years ago. Not only that but two months ago there was a MEPA decision that work was proceeding according to the conditions of the permit. Where is the illegality?? This is a country where first we tarnish someone's name, and then we hope that it sticks!!
J. Borg
Jun 16th 2009, 19:47
Most urgent thing to do is to ensure that no materials/chemicals seep through to the fresh water stream a few meters down.
@ Robert Musumeci
No "development" should be allowed near such a unique location - a few meters away from possibly the last place where the endangered Maltese Fresh Water Crab can still be sighted.
The PN stalwart Dr. Xerri can nonetheless be compensated for an "old and dangerous" structure that had been there for centuries ......... when such vallies as in Bahrija was still intact around the islands!
a.dalli
Jun 16th 2009, 17:33
Whay was the plot excavated before MEPA permission? This is illegal in the first place................
Galea. L
Jun 16th 2009, 10:11
The building is in an ODZ an OUTSIDE DEVELOPMENT AREA.
So why is MEPA even considering such applications?
No wonder people think about corruption.