The head of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's Development Control Unit said in court yesterday he saw nothing irregular in the file of the case on the development of a discotheque in Mistra.
Victor Sladden said that, according to Mepa's procedures, there was nothing irregular in the decision to approve the outline development permit. Although the case officer had recommended a refusal, the Development Control Commission (DCC) had approved it subject to the full development permit.
Mr Sladden was testifying in the compilation of evidence in the case of Philip Azzopardi, 57, from Naxxar and Anthony Mifsud, 50, from Birżebbuġa who are alleged to have had private interests in the adjudication process. They were respectively the chairman and member of the Mepa board that approved the project last November.
He said that although there were two people, the project was approved with five votes in favour and one against.
Under cross examination, Mr Sladden confirmed that the outline permit application for a disco in Mistra was tied to another application that had been filed by the Malta Tourism Authority to embellish Mistra Bay. He said such a thing was normal practice when there were applications that were either close to or depended on each other.
The permit for the disco, which was to have been built on land belonging to Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, had since been revoked.
Later during yesterday's sitting, Magistrate Edwina Grima turned down a request by the prosecution for the court to delete the part of Mr Sladden's evidence where he said he saw nothing irregular in the minutes of the DCC meetings during which the commission approved the project. Former Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja testified that he had not taken any action about the case because the police were already conducting their investigations.
Asked about the role of Lawrence Vassallo, a customer care official at Mepa, Mr Calleja said Mr Vassallo's job was to handle complains by the public and could, if he deemed it fit, act as a mediator between the applicant and the DCC.
Mepa auditor Joe Falzon testified that although the case officer had given four reasons why the DCC should refuse the application, the DCC had not given any reasons.
Mr Falzon said it was not the first time that the DCC and the case officer did not agree on whether an application should be granted or refused.
The case continues.
Police Inspectors Ian Abdilla and Angelo Gafà prosecuted.
Lawyers Joe Giglio, Peter Fenech and Stephen Tonna Lowell appeared for the accused.