Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1475206
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 AUGUST 2022 MATTHEW AGIUS A man has been charged after police discovered around 38kg of drugs, with an estimated mar- ket value of €1.5 million, inside a van that had just arrived from Sicily. 28-year-old Bulgarian national Mustafa El Madhoun was arrest- ed on Sunday after police had inspected the man's van upon its arrival from Pozzallo. Sniffer dogs indicated the presence of drugs concealed in addition to the sawdust which the van was supposed to be transporting. The drugs were found to have been concealed inside hidden compartments. He was arraigned in court on Tuesday, accused of importing cocaine, possession of cocaine, cannabis and heroin in circum- stances denoting that it was not intended for his personal use. El Madhoun told the court that he was a student and had no fixed address in Malta. A plea of not guilty was entered by the defence, with lawyer Jose Herrera saying that the defend- ant would not be requesting bail at this stage, but reserved the right to do so at a later point in proceedings. The man's defence lawyers ob- jected to a request for a freezing order, as it would affect all of the accused's assets although it was clear that these could obviously not derive from the charges. It was also argued that the request was "not proportionate to the le- gitimate aim pursued." The request was also not in conformity with the dispositions of the European Convention on Human Rights which deal with the right to property, argued Herrera. Inspector Grech informed the court that the drugs discovered consisted of 29 kg of cannabis, 5 kg of cocaine and 4kg of heroin. Herrera argued that the law was drafted in such a way that it rendered any accused person liable to be placed under freez- ing orders, even for offences to which they were irrelevant. This had also been held in recent de- cisions by the superior courts, he said. The court, however, upheld the request for the freezing order. Lawyers Jose Herrera, Sha- zoo Ghaznavi, Charlon Gouder, Charles Mercieca and Gianluca Caruana Curran are appearing for the defendant. Police charge student over €1.5 million drug haul JAMES DEBONO 627 objections have been filed against the proposed develop- ment by national waste agen- cy Wasteserv of a restuarant in Santa Venera's baroque Romeo Romano garden. One of the objections has been presented by The History of Art and Fine Arts Students' Associ- ation which warned that "com- mercialising the gardens harms the serene charm the gardens resonate, disrespects the original intentions of the architect, be- trays the style of the period, and completely disregards a local ex- ample comparable to Baroque gardens of the same period in Italy" adding that "nowhere in Italy do you see Baroque gardens being turned into restaurants with a garden". A number of objectors de- scribed Romeo Romano Gar- dens and the surrounding Green Space as the area of serenity it provides in a highly commer- cialised and urbanised place. "To attempt to commercialize this last green lung is an outland- ish proposal that should never have been considered" while a number of residents expressed concerns related to parking and noise pollution in the surround- ing residential area. Also objecting is Moviment Graffitti which described Was- teserv's application as "pure madness and totally unaccept- able". "We stand by our conviction that not every garden needs to be turned into a commercial en- terprise, and that the need for a quiet space is far greater than the need to consume, especially in such a highly congested area". Graffitti also called for a de- tailed ecological survey to es- tablish any species living in the building, especially the jeopard- ized bat species of the area. "An environmental impact as- sessment must be provided due to the detrimental effect of the proposed new use on the bio- diversity context and building setting". But the Environment and Re- sources Authority ERA said that it has no objections about present interventions, as long as these are in line with the rec- ommendations of the Superin- tendence of Cultural Heritage. ERA did not even issue any conditions with regards to the lighting of the restuarant and potential noise impacts on spe- cies like bats which inhabit the garden. But ERA is insisting that all works are to be managed in such manner which avoids "en- vironmental damage to any ad- joining land, natural habitats or features". Conditions imposed by ERA the full protection of trees grow- ing on the site and that the issue of the permit is not construed as a "commitment for additional future development, even if an- cillary to the approved develop- ment or required in connection with its operation". The Malta Tourism Authority has also issued its clearance for the proposed restuarant. On its part the SCH has not objected to the commercialisa- tion of the garden but has asked for photomontages showing the proposal as would be visible from within multiple points in the garden, to better assess the application. The walled Romeo Romano Gardens form part of the garden complex of Casa Leoni, a coun- try villa built prior to 1724 as a summer residence for Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena, and are an important surviv- ing example of local Baroque architecture which luckily sur- vives largely intact and retains its original design. The gardens are planned along a strong cen- tral axis over 150 m long, and its symmetry is a characteristic of the Baroque period, features which the garden has preserved for all these years. The History of Art and Fine Arts Students' Association ex- pressed its regret that applica- tions with an impact on histori- cal architectural features are not discussed with historians, art historians, and architects who understand the importance of preservation and conservation of heritage. While the application foresees the restoration of the 371sq.m old building and a water cistern in a presently closed part of the garden, it will also introduce a new commercial activity in a garden known as an oasis of tranquility and contemplation in a highly urbanised context. 627 object to restaurant in Romeo Romano garden ERA gives its go ahead while Superintendence for Cultural Heritage asks for photomontages of proprosed development