PN President Victor Scerri has invited the Commissioner of Police, MEPA and the MEPA auditor to conduct open investigations into whether he had made any undue pressure for the granting of development permits on his land in Bahrija.

In separate letters to the Commissioner and MEPA, Dr Victor Scerri said he felt conformable that he had not put any undue pressure on anyone.

"I believe that the permits would have been issued to any other common citizen in the same circumstances, as is done regularly, and the controversy just before an election would not have erupted had it been anybody else who was involved," Dr Scerri said.

"The controversy only broke out because I am involved."

The development was revealed by the PL shortly before the European Parliament elections on June 6, Mepa has since come in for strong criticism by a number of environment NGOs. One of them, the Ramblers' Association, plans to hold a protest on Thursday.

Dr Scerri pointed out out that the development process has been going on since the year 2000 and no one had ever objected before.

His architect, Robert Musumeci, said on Friday that the new residence would replace an old dilapidated building and it would be further up the valley from the water course. The lower part near the water course will be rehabilitated.