An investigation into a permit for a villa in an ODZ area remains under wraps despite the possibility that a criminal act was committed by staff under Agriculture Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes.

Last December, this newspaper flagged up suspicions surrounding the permit issued for the villa on 280 square metres of agricultural land outside the development zone in Siġġiewi.

The permit was issued in the name of Roderick Farrugia, the son-in-law of former Labour MP Bertu Pace – now Mr Galdes’s consultant.

The conclusions of the investigation report two weeks ago have led to an unusual move by Mepa to immediately start procedures to revoke the permit. The planning authority did not say what in the report led it to take action. Mepa referred this newspaper back to Mr Galdes for the report’s findings.

Last week, the secretariat said the report would be published after Mepa took its decision. Despite Mepa’s move, yet another request from this newspaper for the report was refused yesterday. The reply stated it “will be published in due course”.

Forgery by a public officer or servant a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term lasting between six months and three years

A spokesman said the report was sent to the Ombudsman’s office and Mepa – not to the police.

When asked whether any disciplinary action had been taken with regard to people involved in the case, the spokesman said: “You may appreciate that within the public administration, disciplinary actions or lack of them are always dictated by stipulated public service regulations.”

The letter at the heart of the investigation was an official document from the Agriculture Ministry signed by Stephen Galea, who described himself as a vet support assistant. Yet, investigations by this newspaper showed Mr Galea was in fact listed as a ‘labourer’, a position he still held when the permit was issued.

During the application process, Mepa had been expected to refuse the permit. This suddenly changed when the letter from the Agriculture Department was presented to the board at the eleventh hour, saying that what was an abandoned garage-like structure had actually once been a farm. This allowed the permit to be issued under the provisions of the rural policy.

Mepa’s decision was communicated a day after the Times of Malta filed a Freedom of Information request with the Agriculture Parliamentary Secretariat for a copy of the investigation report.

Lawyers who spoke to this newspaper said forgery by “a public officer or servant” was a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term lasting between six months and three years.

The law refers to “whosoever, in order to gain any advantage or benefit for himself or others, shall, in any document intended for any public authority, knowingly make a false declaration or statement, or give false information”.

caroline.muscat@timesofmalta.com