Architect in factory collapse that killed Jean Paul Sofia is suspended from roads agency

Architect Adriana Zammit who has been charged with involuntary homicide of Jean Paul Sofia has been suspended from Infrastructure Malta, MaltaToday has learnt.

Zammit was one of five people charged last Sunday by the police after the magisterial inquiry into the factory collapse that killed 20-year-old Sofia was concluded.

Zammit was the architect of the timber factory that was still under construction when it came crashing down on 3 December last year.

The magisterial inquiry, which was published yesterday by the Prime Minister, made ample reference to failures in the building’s design and construction that led to the catastrophic collapse.

Among the findings, Zammit was found to have carried out supervision of the site through photos sent to her via WhatsApp. One such photos was taken by Sofia himself just minutes before the building collapsed.

She also did not give adequate technical instructions to ensure the building was structurally sound.

Zammit was employed as an architect with the government roads agency, Infrastructure Malta, but was able to perform private work as well. The factory job was done in her private capacity.

Sources close to the roads agency said she was suspended from her job after she was arraigned on Sunday. Zammit is suspended on half pay as per normal government procedure.

The magisterial inquiry also revealed how a month after the fatal incident, Zammit had transferred personal assets to third parties in what appears to be a strategy to divest herself from money and property in the eventuality that creditors come knocking on her door.

The other four people charged along with Zammit were: developers Kurt Buhagiar and Matthew Schembri, and contractors Milomir Jovicevic and Dijana Jovicevic.

Apart from facing charges of involuntary homicide, the accused were also charged with causing grievous injuries to five workers who were also on the site when the building collapsed.

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