Judge orders restaurant beneath Old University not to use LPG gas

A judge has upheld a request by the University of Malta to stop a restaurant beneath its Valletta campus from using LPG gas in the kitchen.

Judge Grazio Mercieca said that he had visited the restaurant works and found kitchen equipment that worked with electricity. However, the relevant permit application spoke of LPG being used.

Given the discrepancy between the permit application and the actual catering equipment on site, and restaurant owner Carmelo Foca’s behaviour, the judge was not convinced that LPG would not be used.

In his ruling, Mercieca partially upheld the University of Malta’s request and ordered that the restaurant not use equipment that works with LPG.

The university had asked the court to stop the restaurant works in buildings beneath and next to the Valletta campus, claiming that LPG has cylinders posed a risk to its staff, students and artworks housed on campus.

Works on the restaurant were provisionally stopped earlier this month until the case proper was heard.

Foca had accused the university of acting arrogantly and insisted he was not going to use LPG gas cylinders because the equipment worked with electricity.

The court ruled that as a neighbour, the university had an interest not to be subjected to any danger and chided Foca for making the accusations.

The Old University building was built in 1595 and apart from being an architectural landmark in its own right, also houses permanent art exhibitions with works by various artists, including Edward Caruana Dingli, Richard England u Josef Calleya.