I refer to the news item ‘Audit officer critical of aspects of Mġarr petrol station permit’ (August 17) which attracted some well-informed and intelligent online comments, particularly those by Prof. Edward Mallia and Astrid Vella.

How is it that none of our investigative journalists ever thought of pursuing cases like this one?

Peter Murray commented that such reports by the auditor should be drawn up before, not after, a permit is granted.

Obviously the auditor has to act in line with his remit and, one presumes, that whoever drew up his job description knew very well what they were doing.

Experience has taught us that this remit, in the eyes of the Mepa (and obviously not just Mepa’s) gives the auditor’s reports the value of an ‘opinion’ which it may or may not agree with; never mind its being bound to act on the recommendations therein.

So one could be forgiven for asking why bother having these reports. Also, why have an auditor?

In how many cases were his comments and recommendations heeded in the last eight years? Indeed, as the auditor himself asked in another report, if Mepa ignores its own regulations, why have Mepa at all, with the huge amount it is costing the citizens?

Now we have a ‘reformed’ Mepa and a full-time, salaried, Mepa board, handpicked by the government, and yet this permit was granted.

Notwithstanding the additional costs it has been burdened with because of the reform, Mepa still cannot demand payments of fines for the various infringements as the Reform Bill stipulates.

Though the Bill was approved by parliament in March 2010 the government has still not thought it expedient to issue the relative Legal Notice.

I know for a fact that at least one environment NGO has been asking for explanations about this delay for nearly two years.

In their answers both Mepa chairman Austin Walker and Mepa CEO Dr Ian Stafrace have either been non-committal or passed the buck to the Legal Office.

Obviously, fines do not win votes from culprits. But these now run into thousands and apparently cannot be ignored.

At some point, however, all of us have to decide whether to remain on the side which abets, and indeed favours, wrongdoers.