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6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 FEBRUARY 2023 NEWS NEWS Arnold Cassola lists development illegalities in MDA boss's libel case MATTHEW AGIUS POLITICIAN Arnold Cassola has given examples in court of how Malta Developers Associ- ation president Michael Stivala had benefited under the La- bour administration during the tenure of Joseph Muscat. He gave evidence before Magistrate Rachel Montebello this morning, testifying as the defendant in a libel case filed by Malta Developers Associa- tion president Michael Stivala against him. The libel proceedings had been filed over Facebook posts by Cassola concerning former prime minister Joseph Mus- cat's consultancy work with the Stivala Group. Cassola had described Stivala as having been "gifted various illegalities" under the Muscat premiership. One post, titled "Robert Abela: lying about Jo- seph Muscat," read that "Mus- cat got his 'so-called consul- tancies' from Accutor and Stivala in 2020, soon after his resignation." Another post reads "Joseph Muscat's payback time… Con- sultant with Stivala." Stivala had publicly con- firmed employing Muscat as a consultant, just months after Muscat resigned as prime min- ister. Through his lawyer, Vince Galea, Stivala is claiming that Cassola's comments gave a false impression and were in- tended solely to sully Stivala's reputation. Called to the witness stand by the plaintiff, Prof. Cassola confirmed that he had upload- ed the Facebook posts himself. Galea asked him to read them out. Pointing to the allegation that Stivala had "gifted various il- legalities" to Muscat, he asked what these illegalities consisted of. Cassola replied that he would be giving a non-exhaustive list in his testimony today, but would present a detailed affi- davit before the next sitting. The construction projects he mentioned included a mul- ti storey ta' Xbiex property built in 2016 on a buffer zone where high rise buildings could not legally be built. "By going around the police, he succeed- ed in building all this." Two years before, in 2014 Stivala had applied to develop the interior of a 19th Century Grade 2 house in St. Julians, near Barracuda, Cassola said. "This is a protected zone of the coast, as established in the lo- cal plan. The superintendence of cultural heritage had recom- mended that planning permis- sion be refused…but through the usual interpretations or distortions of the law, the per- mit was approved… this all took place under Joseph Mus- cat's premiership." Cassola added that the construction dust had been dumped in Balluta Bay, "turn- ing the sea to cream," and con- stituting another illegality. A Gżira restaurant and adja- cent hotel had been purchased by Stivala. Nine years of ille- galities followed, Cassola said, telling the court that although many enforcement notices had been issued by the Planning Authority they had never been actioned by the authority. Another restaurant across the road had been forced to close because of the dust, Cassola went on. The defendant pointed to a private lido belonging to Sti- vala on the Gzira waterfront. "In 2015, Stivala had declared to Parliament that this private pool was owned by a consor- tium and couldn't be divided up…Today we see advertise- ments for parts of it being di- vided between four hotels." "Stivala is continuing with the illegalities and is ignoring court orders," Cassola said. Asked what made him say this, he explained that a judge had issued an order for Stivala to stop construction works in Ponsomby Street, Gzira, "but he has carried on." Under the Muscat adminis- tration, Stivala's excavators had destroyed archaeological sites and sewerage services, leaving residents to endure a stench for months, Cassola said. His testimony was suspended until the next sitting for Casso- la to submit an affidavit togeth- er with supporting evidence. Galea asked for the case to be dealt with without delay: "These allegations, which are still not clear, are causing enormous problems to Stivala's business interests," he said. The case will continue in March. Eve Borg Costanzi is repre- senting Cassola in the proceed- ings. Arnold Cassola MATTHEW AGIUS A 24-year-old man has been jailed for arson, after admitting to having started a fire in an underground garage in Sliema last November that had result- ed in the destruction of two ve- hicles. Ion Busuioc, 24, from Roma- nia, had been charged with in- tentionally starting a fire at an underground garage beneath an apartment complex in Guze Howard street, Sliema. The prosecuting police in- spectors, Mario Xiberras and Eman Hayman, had exhibited footage showing the accused entering the complex at ground level, making his way into sev- eral garages and breaking into cars. An item stolen from one of those cars was later found at the accused's residence. The footage also showed him leav- ing another garage, followed by a bright flash of fire. The BMW car and KTM motorcycle in- side that garage were destroyed in the fire. The accused had told the po- lice that he recognised himself in the footage, and that he did not know why he had started the fire. As the case against him pro- gressed, Busuioc had filed a guilty plea. A court-appointed medical expert had established that the man was not in a state of in- sanity when he had committed the offence and that any symp- toms of psychiatric distur- bances had started after Busui- oc was taken into custody. In view of his admission, the Court of Magistrates, presided by Magistrate Donatella Fren- do Dimech declared Busuioc guilty of the charges, sentenc- ing him to imprisonment for four years. In addition to the custodial sentence, Busuioc must also submit to psychological and psychiatric treatment, under a three-year treatment order imposed by the court. A three-year restraining or- der in favour of the victims and their families was also issued. In sentencing the arsonist, the court noted that while his guilty plea had been made rel- atively early in the proceed- ings, it could not discard or ig- nore the increasing regularity of arson attacks. "The actions of the accused instilled terror in many people. Actions car- ried out by a person, who until truly rehabilitated, should not be allowed to circulate in soci- ety," said the magistrate. A recommendation to the Principal Immigration Officer, asking that the accused be de- ported back to Romania after serving his sentence, was also made. Lawyer Leontine Calleja was defence counsel. Self-confessed arsonist who set fire to Sliema garage jailed for four years