Two Gudja Nationalist councillors have requested the Auditor General and the Ombudsman to investigate whether there had been political interference in works at Triq Birżebbuġa.

In a statement this morning, councillors Mark Anthony Sammut and Stefan Caruana said the work had been commissioned to Med Design, a company owned by Labour MP Charles Buhagiar.

They noted that the way the road levels were changed during the works would prevent the flow of rain water, possibly leading to flooding to the detriment of residents.

Although all councillors repeatedly asked who had decided to change the road levels during a council meeting, the mayor, who was politically responsible for the project, evaded the question and said they were according to what the surveyor proposed.

However, the surveyor said in writing that he had never been requested to come up with the final road levels.

The councillors also requested Mr Buhagiar to compile a report explaining why the levels had been changed, which was presented to the council during its last meeting but in which Mr Buhagiar failed to answer any of the questions he was asked.

The council, with the exception of the mayor, agreed to once again seek answers from Mr Buhagiar and not pay for the report before they were given.

The Nationalist councillors said that in view of the fact that either the mayor or Mr Buhagiar were lying, they had written to the Auditor General and the Ombudsman to investigate whether there was political interference from the mayor for decisions to be taken against what the council had approved.

They also asked the two authorities to establish whether public funds had been administered well and who should shoulder responsibility for the work done and for other expenses which might have to be made to rectify the shortcomings.