(Adds statements from Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg and OPM)

The three bills before Parliament through which the Malta Environment and Planning Authority would be divided would make it easier for the government to involve itself in new scandals, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said today.

Speaking in a telephone interview on Radio 101, Dr Busuttil said the government was trying to get the bills through Parliament quickly before the summer recess to the detriment of the environment and the future of Maltese children.

He also said he agreed with the Front Harsien ODZ’s call for the government to be transparent and publish, before recess, the agreement with Sadeen Group for the development of a new university. “We have a right to know what it says… This was an agreement reached without any public call being made raising suspicions that there may be a scandal even in this case,” he said.

He referred to the Prime Minister’s statement earlier this week that half the project will be in Marsascala.

“But will it be on Zonqor? Do you expect us to congratulate you for ruining half and not all of Zonqor,” Dr Busuttil asked.

Throughout most of the interview, Dr Busuttil spoke on scandals taking place in the country and said the government was drowning in scandals after only two years in government.

“Not even the most corrupt government during Mintoff and Lorry Sant time had gotten to this stage in just two years… A web of corruption has been built with the blessing of Castille…”

He said the taxes being paid by Maltese families were funding the corruption taking place. While the government was turning certain people, such as Mark Gaffarena, into millionaires, other Maltese were living in poverty and being made to pay higher taxes to pay for the government’s scandals.

He congratulated the person who reported to the Commission against Corruption another scandal which saw the former owner of a property, now owned by Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg, being refused a Mepa permit on the pretext that it was against Mepa policies and Dr Borg being given the same permit within a few days of applying for it.

This was clearly a case of two measures - no to normal citizens but yes to special ones.

"Different treatment to equal citizens," Dr Busuttil said.

He said the Nationalist Party wanted to clean politics up.

"We have to learn from our mistakes of the past and show the people that we know where we want to go. I want the people to give me a chance to win their confidence."

Institutionalised corruption, he said, had brought Greece to its knees and he did not want the same to happen to Malta.

He hoped the Greeks would vote yes in today's referendum adding that the Nationalist Party, he said, supported EU institutions and the way they acted in the case of Greece.

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY'S STATEMENT

In a statement this afternoon, Dr Borg said it was not true that his application was in any way similar to an application submitted in the past by the preceding owners.

He said that the person who took the case to the Commission Against Corruption, Noel Ciantar, was the same person who, in the past, tried to deny the common people access to the zone known as tas-Simblija, in the limits of Rabat.

Dr Borg had then worked, together with non-governmental organisations, for this right not to be lost.

Mr Ciantar, Dr Borg said, had nothing to do with the property and never filed any applications for development on site.

However, he had the right to request an investigation, a process which should be allowed to progress by the commission concerned.

ENVIRONMENT'S ROLE IN PLANNING TO BE MORE FORCEFUL -OPM

The Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement the Opposition leader had already taken a negative position about the separation of planning and environment.

The planned separation, which would lead to the setting up of an authority for the environment and an authority for planning, was an electoral proposal the people voted for in the last election.

This was following 10 years of disastrous management in Mepa, the consequences of which were still being felt.

The Opposition leader, the OPM said, would have every opportunity to debate this law in Parliament following months of discussions and a consultation process.

The reform would be emphasising the environment’s role in the planning process in a much forceful way than at present, it said.