The Marsascala committee against the waste recycling plant yesterday stated that, if the auditor’s report on the plant will not be made public, it would call for the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) audit officer Joe Falzon, under oath, to testify before the Mepa board of appeal.
At a news conference held in front of the Mepa offices, the committee also called for the resignation of Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja, the Mepa board and Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino and added that the committee and residents were holding them personally responsible for any damages.
Committee chairman and Fgura mayor Darren Marmara’ said the committee would not rest until the resignations took place and that it would do all that was necessary to achieve justice.
Mr Marmara’ said Mr Pullicino expressed anger over the state of affairs concerning the Sant’ Antnin recycling plant. He pointed out that the minister was not concerned at all over pending procedures, including two appeals before the Mepa appeals board, and a constitutional and a civil case.
“Regardless of these procedures, the work has begun,” he said.
Mr Marmara added that Mr Pullicino had stated on various occasions, even in writing, that the recycling plant would start working by the end of this year.
“I want to make it very clear that we are not frightened. We will become more aggressive and start involving the residents in the next few weeks,” he said.
“I can assure Mr Pullicino that he will be the loser at the end of the day,” he said.
Mr Marmara’ stated that they had clearly said, over and over again, that the application process breached a number of Mepa’s rules, was full of irregularities and manipulated.
He added that the Mepa board and chairman Andrew Calleja were doing their utmost to keep the auditor’s report from being made public.
Mr Calleja knowingly discussed the report on alternative sites and took a vote during a meeting held behind closed doors, said Mr Marmara’
Furthermore, he added, there was no public consultation and Mr Calleja went further than required by his duties as chairman by, for example, pushing the board members to take a vote or else EU funds would be lost.
The Mepa chairman ignored the committee’s request to commission a study that would be used as a benchmark where the residents’ health was concerned, said Mr Marmara’.
He said that Mr Calleja called the public hearing for the outline development in August 2005 – at a time when the committee was not prepared while the public hearing for the full development application was held during the Christmas period.
“It never occurred to the Mepa board – that is mainly made up of the minister’s puppets – to carry out an on-site visit,” he said.
A number of objections raised during the meetings were not included in the minutes and Mr Calleja even turned off the microphone while someone was putting forward an objection, he added.
He went on to say that Mr Calleja arrogantly called for a boycott on one of the NGOs.
“Till this day, he has not taken up our challenge to publish the auditor’s report,” he said.