Prime Minister ‘awaiting further developments’ on Mistra Heights

Joseph Muscat defends MEPA board’s decision, rebuts calls for members resignations.

PM Joseph Muscat.
PM Joseph Muscat.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is awaiting further developments on the Mistra Heights report, after the Ombudsman's investigation found that MEPA would have been justified if it had opted to revoke the permit.

The Planning Authority, on its part, insisted that a permit could only be considered for revocation in the case of an error on the face of the record, fraud or public safety.

Environment NGOs have since called for the resignation of MEPA board members. The Prime Minister has insisted that while the NGOs had "all the right" to make their calls, the board members should not resign.

"If we had to act in this way, then the number of people who should resign from boards, especially in the past, would be much higher," he said.

Muscat said the crux of the issue was the interpretation of law, with MEPA arguing that it had used the same system it had always adopted.

Acknowledging that the Mistra permit had given rise to "discontent", Muscat said MEPA had looked into the possibility of revoking the permit.

"But the outline permit had already been issued under the previous administration and the advice given to MEPA was that it now could not be revoked," he said.

"We now await further development on the matter."

The Prime Minister said he respected what the Ombusdman had said in his report, "but a number of factual errors were made". According to MEPA, the legal points raised by the Commissioner were "incorrect".

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cicco???jien ma nafx lil min qed tghid imma jekk qed tghid lili nista nghidlek li jien laburist daqshekk jekk mhux aktar. fejnhu hazin u fejn ma taqbilx huwa fid dover li tghidu...Joseph hekk ghalliemni.jien kontra dak l izvilup ghax kif ghidt lil Malta qeghdin inkomplu nifqawa iktar milli hi.il passat li semmejt jien ukoll qatt ma qbilt mieghu ghalekk illum ghadni bl istess fehma..IL HAZIN DEJJEM HAZIN JIBQA SUR CICCO
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Fejn kontu meta il PN ta outline permit lil Mistra? U fejn kont meta MEPA TAHT PN tat permezz ghal bibi fil wied tal Bahrija? Jew taht Gonzi kontu toqghodu ghal kollox u issa li kuen ghalijkom tmexxu lil Malta mill oppozizjonu?
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ma naqbel assolutament xejn mal Prim Ministru,din d daqxejn gzira ga fgata u ha inkomplu nifgawa....GHALIEXXX mela ser inkomplu bl izbalji li ghamlu ta qabilna.Ghaziz Prim Ministru int ghandek zewg angli u imissek taf kemm hawn postijiet fejn angli bhal tieghek jistaw jiehdu ftit arja wara li jaghmlu gimgha jibilaw d dhahen tal karozzi.Int fid dmir li tbiddel din d decizjoni jekk verament ghandek ghal qalbek dawn il gzejjer ga fqati.TINSIEX IL POTER MISLUF.
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As I opined earlier, NGOs' should take the case to court. Or it is enough to simply throw mud?
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please do not justify in the name of economy,we are ruining our island,also extra high levels in building is wrong .it ruins the exciting areas and its inconvenient to the people.people. Something similar was proposed under Dr Alfred Sant and the people voted against it.We feel stop this crazy attitude Observer