Mepa has been ordered to refund €11,646.87 to Zrar Ltd after a court established that the sum, paid as a deposit, had not been utilized by the authorities.

Zrar Ltd has claimed that the deposit was meant to go towards a trust fund for the conservation and rehabilitation of the Ghar il-Kbir and Clapham Junction area of archaeological importance near Buskett.

The deposit was to be administered by MEPA with the Museums Department and the Siggiewi local council and was to be refunded to the company if it was not used within three years from the issue of the permit.

The company said the refund had been due in January 2004.

Magistrate Silvio Meli said that this case was very worrying since Mepa, which had a monopoly on the issuing of permits, appeared to be taking advantage from this monopoly and was imposing conditions which exceeded its limits.

If conditions surpassed MEPA's statutory limits then the developer would be forced to comply with them in order to obtain his permit.

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