Twenty-five farmers whose livelihoods depend on fields in the Magħtab area have filed a judicial protest before the First Hall of the Civil Court aiming at safeguarding their fields from a proposed Wasteserv expansion project.

The farmers are saying that there is a threat that the government would seize their fields after the publication of a legal notice advising that around 226 tumoli of fields would be needed to expand the site.

This, they said, would breach their property and human rights. The protest also states that the current facilities are not in conformity with the law.

The protest, filed by lawyers Franco Debono, Amadeus Cachia and Claire Bonello against Environment minister Aaron Farrugia and Wasteserv Malta, holds the authorities responsible in damages if the plan goes ahead.

Meanwhile, a number of residents and property owners have also filed a separate judicial protest against the proposed expansion today.

The 20 plaintiffs, represented by lawyer Marco Ciliberti, also warned the government off any attempt at forcibly taking their immovable property to make space for the project.

 

Correction

The Malta Independent had incorrectly quoted Environment Ministry Aaron Farrugia as saying that the government will be compensating Maghtab farmers by giving them land elsewhere in the country. 

What the Minister actually said was that WasteServ will be returning a number of closed down landfills and plants back to the public. 

The error is regretted.