Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1492662
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 FEBRUARY 2023 Call for Applications: The Broadcasting Authority is seeking to fill the post of Domestic Services & Support Services Officer A detailed job description is to be found on the Broadcasting Authority's website: http://www.ba.org.mt. Applicants must submit a letter of application together with a detailed copy of their CV by: • e-mail to administration.ba@ba.org.mt • not later than noon, Tuesday 21 st February 2023 Late applications will not be considered Jobs Plus Permit 74/2023 The Broadcasting Authority is a constitutional entity which regulates, licences and monitors all radio and television broadcasts originating from the Maltese Islands. Broadcasting Authority 7, Mile End Road, ĦAMRUN ĦMR 1719, Malta. Telephone: +356 2201 6000 NICOLE MEILAK KARL Cini, partner of now-de- funct Nexia BT, does not ex- clude that money laundering charges against him could in- clude his work in the Electrogas tender process. Cini appeared before parlia- ment's public accounts commit- tee on Tuesday. The committee is examining the Auditor General's report on the contracts awarded to Electrogas to build and operate a new power station. Cini again invoked his right to silence during the hearing, with his lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell arguing that he is currently facing money laundering charges that span from 2005 to 2019. Since the prosecution did not define the predicate offence in the charges against Cini, his lawyer said that he cannot ful- ly exclude that the proceedings include his client's work on the Electrogas project. Committee chairman Darren Carabott insisted that the mem- bers of the committee have a right to ask him questions regardless, and Cini can only exercise his right to silence if the criminal in- vestigations directly relate to the subject being investigated. Again, Tonna Lowell insisted that there are criminal investi- gations underway against Cini and his is a formal suspect in an inquiry. "We insist that none of the questions are incriminating, and that's why we're insisting not on the right not to incriminate oneself but rather the right to si- lence," Tonna Lowell said. Carabott insisted that he will raise this issue with the Speaker of the House again since Cini did not answer any questions and did not specify exactly whether the criminal investigations include the subject matter being investi- gated by the Committee. The hearing was adjourned un- til a ruling is given by the Speaker. Earlier in the sitting, the Oppo- sition MPs on the committee said that it wanted to put some ques- tions to Enemalta after the tanker supplying LNG to the Electrogas power plant had to pull away from its jetty. The MPs wanted to clari- fy whether this was taken as a precaution and what alterna- tive sources of energy is avail- able whenever the tanker is de- tached. But the Labour MPs complete- ly disagreed with sending such questions as a committee, and instead told the Opposition to submit PQs on the issue. Nationalist MP David Agius said that the committee should not set a precedent and restrain the committee from asking cer- tain questions. Karl Cini does not exclude current money laundering charges could include Electrogas CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The resignation comes follow- ing pressure that was building on Schembri Grima to resign after a stop notice was issued for a project she is architect of. In her private capacity, Schembri Grima is one of the architects of developer Joseph Portelli, which according to sources close to government is causing embarrassing situa- tions. The BCA, which Schembri Grima chairs, issued a stop notice on excavation works in Birkirkara for which she is her- self responsible. "This situation is causing problems of credibility because of the conflicts that keep arising with her involvement in some of the major projects," sources told MaltaToday earlier. In her resignation letter, Schembri Grima said that she relinquished her post "after due consideration" and she will be focusing all her energies on her profession. "I firmly believe that I have served this post to the best of my abilities. From its inception, the BCA has been a catalyst for change in the con- struction sector," she said. The architect stressed that contractors had "great respon- sibilities" when engaging in any form of work on a construction site and are duty bound to fol- low the instructions of the Perit in charge in a rigorous manner. "Failure to follow these in- structions can seriously preju- dice workers on site as well as third parties. As I have done during my tenure as chairper- son of the Building & Con- struction Authority since its inception, I stand firm with my commitment to see that key players in this sector improve the way of doing things to safe- guard workers on site and third parties which I hold very close to my heart," she said. Schembri Grima was chosen as chairperson of the BCA in 2021 despite her role in various applications submitted by lead- ing developers. During her term in office the BCA's chairper- son continued submitting ap- plications by major developers like Michael Stivala and Joseph Portelli. This conflict of inter- est was flagged several times by MaltaToday. In the latest development, the BCA stopped work on the demolition of the site of the Go Exchange building in Birkirkara over the weekend, after boul- ders from the site, spilled onto the street. The permit for excavation and demolition works was issued to Excel Limited a company owned by construction mag- nate Joseph Portelli and Mark Agius in November and were given the clearance by the BCA on 1 February. The architect of the project is Schembri Grima. The permit for the demolition of the existing Go Exchange and the excavation of two basement levels was issued before any decision on the replacement building. In fact, an application by the same company to construct 174 basement garages, 11 retail shops and 127 apartments is still pending approval. In a stop notice issued by the authority's Chief Executive Of- ficer Martin Farrugia, the BCA ordered that all work is stopped with immediate effect since the demolition was not in line with the method statement that had been filed and approved and was "exposing third parties to danger". The stop notice was issued after residents had complained to the BCA about the lack of safety precautions on the site where stones were falling in- to the street and the perimeter wall was not closing off the site as had been promised. The safety risks posed by the works was also flagged by activ- ist Wayne Flask and independ- ent candidate Arnold Cassola. The original method state- ment for the demolition works had been presented by Schem- bri Grima to the BCA on 26 January. The method statement in- cluded precautions to safe- guard properties in the vicinity of the project. The clearing of site was to be "done by means of mechanical excavator armed with a bucket from the front to the back until the bedrock is exposed." Moreover, once the property is demolished, hoard- ing had to be erected on the site boundary to secure it. Following the stop notice, Schembri Grima submitted a new method statement to ad- dress shortcomings through a new set of guidelines including "the spraying of water through the services of a water bows- er or other similar means to contain and mitigate any dust resulting from the demolition works". Grima committed herself to liaise with the Site Technical Office "about how works are to be carried out" according to the guidelines. Stop notice was issued for Joseph Portelli project Schembri Grima is architect of