The permit issued for an outside development zone building in Siġġiewi to the daughter of a minister’s consultant is the subject of a government investigation, a spokesman has confirmed.
The case, revealed by this newspaper, raised concerns over the permit allowing the construction of a new house on agricultural land issued in the name Roderick Farrugia – the son-in-law of Albert (known as Bertu) Pace who is a consultant to Agriculture Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes and a former Labour MP.
The planning authority permitted the demolition of a 25-square-metre garage to create a driveway for a 280-square-metre house on untouched agricultural land. The architect listed on the application was Labour MP Charles Buhagiar, the executive chairman of the Building Industry Consultative Council.
The permit was approved after a letter from the agriculture department was presented to Mepa’s decision-making board at the eleventh hour.
The letter changed the decision from a planned refusal to approval, raising questions over whether Mr Pace’s role as a consultant had any influence on the agriculture department’s efforts.
It turned out the entire case was based on a document bearing the department’s letterhead signed last August by Stephen Galea, who described himself a vet support officer, saying he had visited the farm “to carry out inspections… pre-year 2000”.
Since the permit was approved under the new rural policy, it was critical for the permit’s issuance that it was proven the area was once a farm.
Mr Galea’s identity card number shows he was under 25 at the time – a young age for anyone authorised to act as a vet support officer. Meanwhile, official records show he was listed as “a labourer”, a position he still holds today. He has no official record of ever being employed as a vet support officer.
Another letter was presented by a vet working for the ministry sent to Mr Buhagiar saying the site cannot be used for a farm without an upgrade to meet EU rules.
Unusually, none of the documents Mepa referred to for justifying the case is available to the public.