The audit report about the Sant’Antnin waste recycling plant is not finalised yet, Architect Joseph Falzon, audit officer of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa), has pointed out to Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja, expressing concern at the way the “media are reporting about it”.

The committee formed to oppose the plant has requested the release of the report, which investigated the approval of the full development permit given to the plant by the Mepa board. But the Ombudsman has said its release should be withheld.

Mr Falzon told Mr Calleja in a letter: “The report is not finalised. The Audit Office was expecting the feedback of the Mepa concerning the facts as stated in the report. Once this information is received, it has to be analysed in detail, where necessary the relevant documents retrieved and checked, and finally the report would be amended where necessary in accordance with the new information available. Consequently the report may have to be modified considerably.

“It is therefore incorrect to presume anything on the basis of this report. Only when the report is finally made public by the Audit Office would it represent the opinion of the Audit Office on the matter.”

Meanwhile, with reference to a news item that was carried in yesterday’s edition of newspaper l-Orizzont, the Ombudsman said that while it was true that he had provided advice to Mepa’s audit officer, it was not true that he had suggested to Mepa to withhold the release of the report.

In a statement it issued yesterday, the Ombudsman published the advice he gave to the audit officer in a letter dated 19 February.

The Ombudsman pointed out that in no way did he interfere with the audit officer’s report and his suggestion was only intended to ensure that the officer was procedurally correct and that the process was clean and transparent.

The Ombudsman added that it is one of the office’s statutory regulations to suspend the investigation of any case when this is being considered by some form of tribunal or court.

In conclusion, the Ombudsman said the audit officer had not finalised the named report. His suggestion was that pending the appeal, it was not prudent for the Mepa audit officer to publish the report.