Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1504886
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 2 AUGUST 2023 4 NEWS MATTHEW VELLA AN ethics complaint on the former minister for planning Michael Farrugia has been re- ferred to the Standards Com- mittee in the House, the in- dependent politician Arnold Cassola has said. Cassola had filed the com- plaint asking the Commission- er for Standards whether La- bour MP Michael Farrugia had been economical with the truth about meeting Tumas magnate Yorgen Fenech before includ- ing the group's land in Mrieħel in a final version of the high- rise policy draft. Cassola said the Commission- er had concluded his investi- gation following his complaint three years ago. The high-rise policy had not mentioned the inclusion of the Mrieħel land that now is the site of the Tumas-Gasan four-tower construction when it was issued for public consul- tation back in November 2013. Farrugia had claimed he had not met Fenech – today in jail as he faces charges of com- missioning the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia – in Castille before the final version of the high-rise policy was published. The conclusions of this inves- tigation have now been sent to the Parliamentary Committee on Standards in Public Life. "When this happens, this nor- mally means that some wrong- doing on the part of the minis- ter has been identified by the Commissioner for Standards," Cassola said. "Unfortunately, despite being the complainant, the law prohibits me from hav- ing access to the findings and conclusions of an investigation initiated by me." Cassola had called on Michael Farrugia to explain his involve- ment in including Mriehel in the list of high-rise zones "a few hours after meeting Yorgen Fenech", the owner of the land in Mriehel where the Quad high-rise was granted a permit. A Freedom of Information request by the Daphne Carua- na Galizia Foundation showed Fenech had clocked in for a meeting with then planning secretary Michael Farrugia at Castille at 9:27am on March 5 2014, and clocked out at 9:53am. On the same day Farrugia met with the alleged Caruana Gal- izia murder mastermind, the minister sent a letter to Plan- ning Authority CEO to consid- er Mriehel "as an appropriate location for tall buildings with the intention to create a strate- gic employment node". The decision paved the way for Tumas and Gasan to file an application the Quad Towers. "When asked about this issue, Minister Farrugia's first reac- tion was to lie and to say that the meeting never happened," Cassola said. When Farrugia was confront- ed with official documentation, he came up with a second ver- sion, saying the meeting was not about Mriehel. Later Farrugia claimed the decision for Mrieħel to be in- cluded was taken days before letter was sent by a committee evaluating policies after public consultation. The Permanent Commission Against Corruption is also ex- amining submissions in con- nection with the March meet- ing between Michael Farrugia and Yorgen Fenech. In a complaint by Cassola in 2020, he had asked the Com- mission to determine wheth- er Fenech's close relationship with top officials and the do- nation of expensive gifts to ex- prime minister Joseph Muscat had influenced policy deci- sions. Standards report on Quad Towers meeting with Yorgen Fenech goes to committee Former Labour minister Michael Farrugia could have been found guilty of lying about his meeting in Castille with Yorgen Fenech ahead of a letter to the Planning Authority to include Mrieħel in the high-rise policy after the public consultation process Michael Farrugia ADPD has written to the auditor general requesting a probe into Enemalta's public spending. The party's chairperson Sandra Gauci wrote to the auditor general on Tuesday, after announcing she would do so during a protest held by the party in Valletta last week. ADPD's formal request specifically calls for a value-for-money audit of Enemalta's investments in the electricity distribution system over the past ten years. The party emphasises the importance of transparency and accountability, asserting that taxpayers have a legitimate interest in knowing how their money is being utilised. "We believe that taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent," stated the ADPD in a released statement. "There is a necessity for transparency, in- cluding insight into the long-term planning of Enemalta, so that accountability can be established for the recent power cuts and system failures." ADPD said a comprehensive investigation as essential to uncovering the underlying causes of these problems and advocating for improvements in the electricity distri- bution system's efficiency and reliability. "We all deserve to understand the deci- sions related to procurement and tender- ing that have contributed to our current predicament," added ADPD, underscoring the importance of prudent allocation of funds for essential services like electricity distribution. In conjunction with the call for an inquiry, ADPD is encouraging the public and those affected by power cuts to support their cause by signing a petition containing ten specific actions aimed at fostering a green- er and more dependable energy system in Malta. The petition can be accessed at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/10-ac- tion-points-for-improved-energy-poli- cy-in-malta. ADPD calls for auditor general probe into Enemalta spending ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci