The Democratic Party has launched a blistering attack on the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, Anthony Pace, asking how he had 'stayed so quiet' about the assault on Malta’s identity in the past years.

"Under his oversight, his office has allowed the Planning Authority to approve a frightening number of applications to desecrate Malta’s heritage and identity. The general public has started to catch on to this fact. The Superintendent did not take action against the Kerċem development application, which threatened the Roman Catacombs of Gozo. Questions must now be asked," the party said.

It has become abundantly clear that the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has in some way been compromised to rubber stamp development applications

"It has become abundantly clear that the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has in some way been compromised to rubber stamp development applications," the party said, pointing out that the superintendent had also abandoned cases such as the vernacular houses of Zebbuġ, the Sliema Cloisters and Blackley's Bakery in Pieta.

The superintendent had to date also not taken a stand against possible development in Mosta of the archaeological site at il-Wesgha tal-Ġganti, merely recommended that monitoring takes place during the works themselves.   

The party said that in view of the assault on Malta’s cultural heritage in the past months and years and the clear absence of the assumption of any responsibility by Dr Pace, it was questioning his credibility as Superintendent of Cultural Heritage.

"The motivations behind his decisions - or lack thereof - are best put to an investigation and to public scrutiny," it said.