Updated 3.10 p.m. - Labour MP Roderick Galdes has invited the Mepa chairman and the minister responsible for Mepa to publish documentation related to the granting of a permit for his political office in Qormi.

In a statement, Mr Galdes said that the Mepa audit officer quoted a policy on commercial offices when he criticised a Mepa decision to grant him a permit to open a political office in Qormi.

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Earlier today the PN demanded action from Joseph Muscat after The Sunday Times revealed that the Mepa audit officer said that the permit went against Mepa policies and should never have been issued (see http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120909/local/Labour-MP-s-permit-should-not-have-been-granted-auditor.436088 )

Mr Galdes said that as a politician and a public officer he had no objection to scrutiny. 

He said the permit application was approved in a normal manner like every other application. 

During the process, the case officer raised one reason for refusal. That was contested by the architect who presented the application, and the DCC board upheld the application unanimously. 

After the permit was granted, a neighbour protested to the audit officer.

The audit officer in his report quoted a policy which governed commercial offices, when his office was not commercial, Mr Galdes said. 

He said that claims that he had a conflict of interest and could have influenced the Mepa decision did not hold water. Like every citizen he had a right to apply for a permit and he could not understand the reason for the PN attacks, Mr Galdes said.

PN REACTION

The PN, in a reaction, said that Mr Galdes was trying to discredit the audit officer, now that the report was not to his liking. The position was different when the auditor's reports were not about him.

Mr Galdes's responsibility in this matter was more serious because he was no ordinary politician, but the Opposition spokesman on Mepa, the PN said. 

PN'S EARLIER STATEMENT

In its statement earlier today, the Nationalist Party said that it expected action from Labour leader Joseph Muscat against Roderick Galdes, the party's spokesman on Mepa, who is also a board member of the Authority.

The PN noted that according to the Mepa audit officer, a permit (for an office) had been issued to him in violation of Mepa policies.

The auditor had said that the permit should never have been issued.

The PN said this was a serious matter especially since Mr Galdes is the PL spokesman on Mepa. Furthermore Mr Galdes had had a conflict of interest, as a member of the Mepa board, but he did not declare his interest. It appeared he had known about this conflict of interest because the permit application was made on his wife's name.

The PN said it hoped Dr Muscat would not close an eye to this matter as he did in matters involving his inner circle, including Rachel Tua.

See The Sunday Times story at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120909/local/Labour-MP-s-permit-should-not-have-been-granted-auditor.436088