Shadow minister for health Claudette Buttigieg questioned the inquiry on abuses at the cemetery. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The Government should take quick and decisive action on the abuses going on at the Addolorata Cemetery, according to an appeal from Claudette Buttigieg (PN) in Parliament last night.

The shadow minister for health said that it was a blatant lie that she was trying to stop the ongoing inquiry about the alleged abuses at the cemetery.

Ms Buttigieg, speaking during the adjournment, added that she also hoped that the claim that pressure from Castille to stymie the cemetery investigation to protect a person allegedly involved was false as well.

The inquiry followed the claims she made last October where she urged the government to clamp down on a ‘racket’ at the cemetery.

She had said that a senior health inspector had been abusively digging and selling graves himself. He was stopped some months back but no disciplinary action was taken against him.

Political interference in the cemetery management was rife and the administration was full of political appointees who were not always on site, Ms Buttigieg claimed.

There was also a sinister racket in the way people were being charged money for the graves to be cleaned.

She also hoped that the claim that pressure from Castille to stymie the cemetery investigation to protect a person allegedly involved was false as well

Several people had told her that they paid over €100 for this service, while the receipts indicated €15.13 only.

Other people had approached Ms Butti-gieg after her speech and informed her of similar incidents in other cemeteries, such as at Ta’ Braxia Cemetery, where illegal graves were dug and sold.

Ms Buttigieg also asked whether it was true that in Mosta human remains were kept in public graves for a fee and public graves were transferred to private ownership.

“Was it true that similar abuses had been commit-ted at the Burmarrad and Żebbuġ cemeteries?” Ms Buttigieg asked.