The Nationalist Party has nominated lawyer David Bonello to the new Building & Construction Authority (BCA).

In a statement, the PN said that the nomination had been made by Opposition leader Bernard Grech after consultation with the party’s planning and construction spokesperson Hermann Schiavone.

The PN said that in a meeting with Grech, Bonello said that he would be aiming to safeguard the rights of the industry, but above all else the interests of the neighbours who live next to construction sites.

Bonello is one of the lawyers for the Pace family, and represents them along with Joe Giglio in the court proceedings over the death of Miriam Pace – who passed away after her house collapsed into an adjacent construction site last year.

The government had accused the PN of delaying the opening of the BCA by taking ages to nominate their representative on the board. 

On 22 February, Environment minister Aaron Farrugia had said that he had been urging the party to nominate someone for three weeks.

The Building and Construction Authority is being set up as part of a wide-ranging reform stemming from an expert report drawn up in the wake of the tragedy that claimed the life of Miriam Pace last year.