The environment NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) has called for a re-examination of permits issued recently by Mepa in the wake of the Mistra case.

"Despite the Structure Plan's guidelines that new developments in the countryside should be limited to essential structures, more than 2,500 permits have been issued outside the Development Zone over the last two years. Over the last few months hundreds of MEPA applications for sensitive areas like Urban Conservation Areas and Out of Development Zone (countryside) were submitted and permits issued," it said, mentioning the Safi supermarket as an example.

"This begs the question of whether the DCC boards have been fulfilling their brief to protect the environment, and FAA therefore call for a re-examination of all permits granted over the last three months," the FAA said.

"The public has every reason to ask whether it is right that DCC board members taking arbitrary and damaging decisions can then simply resign without having to give an account of themselves or bearing any responsibility."

The NGO also asked how the Malta Tourism Authority is allowed to short-circuit the planning process by holding negotiations on tourism projects with Mepa officials out of the public eye.

It said that on enquiring for information on the DCC A's decision on the Mistra permit, Mepa officials evaded FAA's questions on the composition of the DCC A Board and claimed that they had no way of knowing how each member voted.

"It is hard to believe that Mepa does not keep minutes of meetings or records of votes. Failure to keep such a record or failure to divulge it, violates the spirit, if not the letter of the 'no secret vote' provision," the FAA said.

"Given the Prime Minister's call for greater transparency at Mepa, we are very surprised by this reply and have no choice but to say that such an attitude and such officials have no place in a reformed Mepa."