Updated with Labour spokesman's statement June 7 9.20 a.m.

No animal carcasses had been brought from North Africa to be incinerated in Malta, Mepa said this evening.

Referrring to statements made on Saturday by Opposition environment spokesman Leo Brincat, Mepa said that the investigations carried out by its Environmental Protection Directorate concluded that no carcasses of animals were imported from North Africa  to be incinerated at Marsa.

"The Hon Leo Brincat appears to have based his wrong assumptions on internal Mepa correspondence interpreted out of its proper context," the Authority said.

"Mepa's investigations further concluded that the Marsa Thermal Treatment Facility acted in accordance with the instructions of the Director General of Veterinary Services in incinerating all waste generated from ships having Libya as a port-of-call and all international catering waste originating at the airport, in accordance with EU Council Regulation 1069/2009. This procedure was introduced to eliminate the possibility of contamination from the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Libya."

INDEPENDENT INQUIRY APPOINTED

Meanwhile, the Environment Ministry noted the Mepa statement and another denial also made by the Resources Ministry. It said that despite those statements, it was accepting Mr Brincat's call for an independent inquiry, especially since Mr Brincat had also claimed that the government may be hiding things.

The inquiry will be conducted by Judge Joseph David Camilleri, Dr Victor Vassallo Dr Louis Cassar.

See Mr Brincat's comments at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120603/local/Burning-of-animal-carcasses-sparks-inquiry.422450

In a statement this morning (Thursday) Mr Brincat that that the inquiry board's terms of reference should be wide enough to permit it to investigate the whole process, going back to the first time such a case was brought to the authorities' attention.

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