Parliament's decision to hand public land in Zonqor for the 'American University of Malta' was the culmination of a process which saw the public deprived of its legal right to participate in the planning process, FAA said today.
"The whole site selection process was a sham, ignoring alternatives that would have been much more beneficial to the national interest on social, environmental and also economic terms," the environment NGO said.
"Added to the fact that the MEPA CEO acted as facilitator, and not regulator of this project, yesterday’s revelation that the application is not for a university but for a 'higher education institution’ is one of the many irregularities that has characterised this project and has entrenched mistrust in the government’s handling of such matters," it added.
"The implications of this decision will be felt in the future, as traffic in Marsaskala and Cospicua increases, bringing with it pollution and health problems.
"The government is refusing to admit that this project will be changing the social dynamics of these areas in a radical and irrevocable way, to the detriment of the two communities and Malta in general."
The NGO said that since Malta has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in Europe, a project employing 300 persons, many of whom will be foreign, does not justify robbing the Maltese of their birthright and further raping the land.