Mistra issues 'ironed out with steam roller'

In the Mistra case, contentious issues were "ironed out, possibly with a steam roller" and the provisions of the law were "conveniently forgotten and flattened out", the planning authority's auditor officer, Joe Falzon has said.

Writing in The Times today, Mr Falzon rebuts criticism levelled at him by architect Robert Musumeci earlier this week.

Mr Musumeci took the auditor to task over his assertion that private meetings between Development Control Commission board members and developers were illegal.

While agreeing with the auditor that DCC hearings had to be held in public, Mr Musumeci said meetings called by Mepa's liaison officer in the Mistra case could not be deemed to be DCC meetings as defined by law. "These meetings are only intended to iron out contentious issues," Mr Musumeci wrote in The Times on Tuesday.

Mr Falzon begs to differ and insists that such meetings are in conflict with the Development Planning Act. "Any contentious issues should be ironed out during meetings open to the public if DCC members are involved. In the Mistra case, contentious issues were very well ironed out, possibly with a steam roller; even the provisions of the law were conveniently forgotten and flattened out," Mr Falzon says, insisting that in these private meetings no minutes or other records are kept.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com