Cassola: Michael Farrugia should come clean on Yorgen Fenech meeting

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has insisted Energy Minister Michael Farrugia explain his involvement in including Mriehel in the list of high-rise zones “a few hours after meeting Yorgen Fenech”, the owner of the land in Mriehel where the Quad high-rise was granted a permit.

Fenech is also accused of masterminding the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

A Freedom of Information request by the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation showed Yorgen Fenech had clocked in for a meeting with then planning secretary Michael Farrugia at Castille at 9:27am on March 5 2014, and clocked out at 9:53am. 

On the same day Farrugia met with the alleged Caruana Galizia murder mastermind, the minister sent a letter to Planning Authority CEO to consider Mriehel “as an appropriate location for tall buildings with the intention to create a strategic employment node”.   

The decision paved the way for Tumas and Gasan to file an application for a development known as the ‘quad towers’. 

Cassola called on Farrugia to “come clean and stop obstructing the course of justice”. 

“When asked about this issue, Minister Farrugia's first reaction was to lie and to say that the meeting never happened,” Cassola said. 

The independent candidate said when Farrugia was confronted with official documentation, he came up with a second version, saying the meeting was not about Mriehel. 

Later, Cassola said, the former planning secretary came up with a third version, saying the decision for Mrieħel to be included was taken days before letter was sent by a committee evaluating policies after public consultation. 

The independent candidate said Farrugia should explain his involvement without “lying and hiding facts”. 

The Permanent Commission Against Corruption is examining submissions in connection with the March meeting between Michael Farrugia and Yorgen Fenech.

In a complaint by Cassola last Decemebr, he had asked the commission to determine whether Fenech’s close relationship with top officials and the donation of expensive gifts to ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat had influenced policy decisions.

The independent candidate confirmed the commission is examining submission related to the Yorgen Fenech meeting. 

When Farrugia was asked about the decision, he claimed the decision to include Mriehel, was taken days before his order was sent by a “committee evaluating policies after public consultation”. 

On documentation showing the committee decision, the minister said he no longer has access to such documentation.