A Mepa enforcement officer was yesterday cleared of soliciting bribes, with the court finding him to be more credible than the developer who made the claim.

The case was against Charles Azzopardi, 63, from Kalkara. The police investigated a report from Mepa claiming that according to an architect, he had asked developer Matthew Camilleri for a €200 bribe in return for issuing a compliance certificate on a development. This followed a site inspection on May 7, 2012 where Mr Azzopardi had found some irregularities.

Magistrate Anthony Vella said the matter should never have reached the courts, adding “there was no criminal case at all” because it was one’s word against the other’s.

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