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maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 APRIL 2019 7 NEWS JAMES DEBONO THE relocation of a miniscule kerb side petrol pump in Pjaz- za Savina in Victoria is being used as a pretext for the de- velopment of a massive fuel station on 3,000sq.m of ag- ricultural land along Hal Far road in B'Bugia. An application foreseeing a similar development had been withdrawn in February after the Planning Directorate rec- ommended it for refusal. One of the reasons given by the case officer for recom- mending the application's re- fusal was that the application did not foresee the relocation of an existing petrol station. The policy approved in 2014 only allows the construction of brand new fuel stations on sites, which are either oppo- site or adjacent to industrial areas. The case officer noted that this was not the case with the proposed fuel station. The application was also shot down because it it surpassed the 3000-sq.m threshold dic- tated by policy. Presented by Michael Zam- mit, the application foresees the relocation of a small kerb site pump in Pjazza Savina in Victoria Gozo. The petrol station is now be- ing re-proposed on 3,000sq.m of agricultural land. Since the proposal is now being presented as a reloca- tion of an existing fuel sta- tion, the current policy does not preclude its development on this site. This is because petrol sta- tions can be relocated on any ODZ parcel, which does not enjoy higher protection through scheduling. The new petrol station is set to include a car wash, a food and drink establishment, an auto shop, a vulcanizer and tyre service garage and a val- eting garage. For the past year the govern- ment has procrastinated on changing the current policy which allows mega petrol sta- tions in the ODZ; either op- posite or adjacent to indus- trial areas if brand new and in other ODZ areas along arte- rial roads if relocated. Faced with a sit-in protest by Graffitti activists Minister Ian Borg has committed him- self to issue the final draft of the policy for public consulta- tion by the end of April. While the Environment and Resources Authority had pro- posed a ban on ODZ fuel sta- tions, it is expected that the new policy will still permit the relocation of petrol sta- tions in ODZ areas. This is expected to encour- age the sale of existing licens- es for kerb side fuel stations by land hungry developers. Next Thursday the Planning Authority is faced with an- other application to relocate another miniscule kerb side fuel station in Burmarrad to 1700 sq.m of agricultural land in the same locality. The PA is also considering an application to relocate a petrol station in valley road to Rabat road. In this case Edgar Borg & Sons Limited had sold the li- cense to Luqa Developments Limited in March 2014. 3,000sq.m fuel station proposed instead of miniscule petrol pump in Gozo Victoria petrol station proposed for relocation to 3000 sq.m of agricultural land in B'Bugia equipped by all amenities including a food and drink establishment The application foresses the Victoria petrol pump (top picture) being relocated to a 3,000sq.m plot of agricultural land in B'Bugia (bottom pictire) MATTHEW AGIUS AN asylum seeker from Sudan who tried to leave Malta for Naples using a fake passport with a photo of someone else has been jailed for six months. 25-year-old Adam Eldi Abubacer was ar- raigned before magistrate Monica Vella this morning, charged with the creation, posses- sion and use of a forged document. Inspector Darren Buhagiar told the court that the accused had arrived in Malta by boat in 2014 and applied for asylum. He was arrest- ed yesterday at the airport as he tried to board a flight to Naples using a "totally counterfeit passport" said the police inspector. Abubacer had told the police that he had bought the fake document for €500 from someone whom he had met only once, in a parking lot in Marsa. He couldn't recall the name of this person, said Inspector Buhagiar. As the accused had sought asylum he cannot be ordered to return to Sudan. "This country accepts asylum seekers but not the presenta- tion of false passports," said the inspector. On punishment, defence lawyer Joe Brincat argued that the man has a clean criminal re- cord and had been fleeced out of €500 by an unscrupulous person. The Court warned Abubacer that he could go to prison, before once again asking him whether he was confirming his guilty plea. He said he was, adding that he now knew what he did was wrong, he said, Abubacer was found guilty on his own admission, but the court in view of his early guilty plea and absence of criminal record, condemned him to the minimum punishment at law for the charge, six months' imprisonment. Six months' jail for asylum seeker who used fake passport to leave Malta

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