Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1354939
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 24 MARCH 2021 NEWS MATTHEW AGIUS A man who in the past was involved in several crimes has been denied bail after being arraigned this morning on cocaine-related charges. Juanito Jimenez, 27, from Hamrun, was arraigned before magistrate Na- tasha Galea Sciberras by Inspector Alfredo Mangion, accused of pos- session of cocaine with intent to traffic, possession of cannabis grass and breaching bail conditions im- posed in November 2018, as well as May, July and December 2020. He was also accused of recidivism. Inspector Mangion told the court that the police had received infor- mation that a drug deal was going to take place at an undisclosed loca- tion. The police had approached two ve- hicles, but one vehicle managed to slip away. The accused was found in the other vehicle, a Mitsubishi Paje- ro. Inside the vehicle, police found three sachets - all containing what the police believed was cocaine, and the accused was arrested. The accused was also found to be carrying some €4,600 in cash. Jimenez faces a total of over €46,000 in bail bonds that will be liable to be paid upon conviction. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. Bail was not requested at this stage. Lawyers Franco Debono and Am- adeus Cachia were defence counsel. Man arrested with cocaine was on fourth concurrent bail, court hears LAURA CALLEJA MOVIMENT Graffitti activists spent a second day in Dingli in a bid to prevent Infrastructure Mal- ta from constructing a controver- sial street on ODZ land. Graffitti spokesperson Andre Callus accused Infrastructure Malta of building a connecting road between two alleyways with- out a permit, by claiming the local plan allows the road to be built. However, most of the area that will be built up on land that is out- side development zones. The agency had stopped the works soon after they commenced in October 2020 after protests raised by residents and Moviment Graffitti. "This is a road that makes no sense. It leads nowhere and heads into a dead end. We believe that this road is there to accommodate more development on ODZ," Cal- lus said. Activists, residents, and farmers first appeared in Dingli on Mon- day at 7:30am, when Infrastruc- ture Malta announced that they will be steaming ahead on the works. "We stopped the works – they continued with the machinery, putting people's lives in danger, but eventually the works stopped," Callus said. Infrastructure Malta had initially began works on the road in Oc- tober 2020, but subsequently put its construction on hold after a protest was held by residents and activists. But in a statement circulated on Monday, the agency said that it will be going through with the plans and method statements of the road, while continuing talks with the owners of adjacent lands to discuss and conclude "applica- ble expropriation terms". "The only means we have left to stop these people, who are doing enormous harm, is to use direct action and stop the works from starting or continuing," Callus said. Last week the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal turned down an appeal against the Environment and Resources Authority's permit for the uproot- ing of three trees in the site of the schemed street. In submissions to the EPRT, the ERA said the ap- pellants did not have a juridical interest to make such an appeal. The ERA also reconfirmed its approval for the uprooting of the three trees, explaining that Infra- structure Malta was requested to plant 30 new trees as an adequate compensation in line with appli- cable regulations. In a separate submission follow- ing a site inspection, the enforce- ment and environment protection officers of the ERA denied alle- gations that Infrastructure Malta had uprooted trees illegally when works started in October. The Planning Authority also told the EPRT that there was no obli- gation for Infrastructure Malta to notify the PA about its works in Dingli since the new street be- tween Dahla tas-Sienja Street, San Gwann Bosco Street and Il-Muse- um Alley was schemed as accord- ing to the local plan. "Residents in Il-Musuem Alley and other nearby areas in Ding- li have long been calling for the formation of this schemed street to improve connectivity and to create a safer access to numer- ous residences, some of which are currently only accessible through a narrow lane that does not permit firefighting and other emergency vehicles to reach their homes. In a recent communication to In- frastructure Malta, the Civil Pro- tection Department denied the allegation that it had told a local organisation there was no need to improve accessibility to emergen- cy vehicles in this area," IM said in its statement. "As it does in all works close to archaeological remains, IM is consulting the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage to make sure that a centuries-old aban- doned building a short distance away from the new street's align- ment, which is believed to be the remains of a medieval chapel, is not adversely impacted by the re- quired works. "The construction of the new street does not necessitate the demolition or alteration of any parts of these historical remains. An archaeologist approved by the Superintendence will be monitor- ing all road works near this histor- ical structure, to make sure it is adequately protected. Infrastruc- ture Malta is planning to com- plete this new street in the next few months." The medieval chapel in Dingli which was amongst the first 10 parishes to be documented as ear- ly as 1436, had been on the wait- ing list of buildings awaiting legal protection for the past eight years. But no decision was taken until direct action by Graffitti activists against roadworks by Infrastruc- ture Malta in its vicinity. A report by a Planning Author- ity case officer for a minor exten- sion of a building immediately next to the Late Medieval Church of Santa Duminka, reveals that the building had been proposed for scheduling just months before the 2013 election, in November 2012. But no action was taken for the past eight years to protect the chapel, with the scheduling placed on the backburner, and facilitating plans for a schemed road to link the two alleyways. Graffitti stops Dingli roadworks as IM tries to block access