A cement company can proceed with unloading its cement into its silo in Kordin after a judge this morning postponed the case to Monday following a request by a grain company to become a party to the case.
The case was appointed to decide on a warrant filed by cement company UC Ltd against the planning authority which on Wednesday attempted to stop it from proceedings with the transfer of cement from a ship berthed at Laboratory Wharf to its brand new silo.
The company’s request was provisionally upheld and the transfer of cement proceeded on Thursday to Friday night.
As the hearing began before Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti, a lawyer representing Kordin Grain Terminal Limited – which is also trying to stop the cement company from operating – asked to be admitted as a party to the case.
As a result, Mr Justice Chetcuti deferred the case to Monday to allow the cement company to reply to this request.
Lawyer Adrian Delia, representing KGT, said his client was the only provider of grain storage on the island. He said the terminal had stringent conditions to abide to as 75 per cent of the products it handles is intended for human consumption.
He said that traces cement could jeopardise these products, placing at risk the public’s health.
MEPA's legal representative, Robert Abela, argued that there was no need for the injunction any longer as the transfer of cement was under way and would soon finish, making the Mepa action useless.
But lawyer Paul Lia, appearing for UC Ltd, argued that his client had the cleanest and state-of-the-art technology on the island.
He said interrupting the computerised process though which air was being used to push the cement out of the ship and into the silo could result in environmental damages.
Mr Justice Chetcuti put off the case to Monday to continue hearing submissions after the cement company formally replies to the grain terminal’s request.
In a statement, Maypole Bakery said it imported its grain and flour requirments directly from foreign suppliers and did not source any grain or flour products locally.