Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536039
MOVIMENT Graffitti is urg- ing the Planning Authority to refuse a massive development proposal that seeks to trans- form a large area of land in Ta' Qali into multiple commercial facilities "While the Ta' Qali Action Plan allows for the possibility of sports-related facilities in this area, the proposed devel- opment is completely dispro- portionate in size and includes numerous built structures intended for various types of commercial activity, such as a four-storey hotel, shops, and restaurants," the NGO said. "Moreover, even the proposed private sports facilities are ex- cessive, encompassing a full- size rugby pitch, a half-size scrum training pitch, two full- size football pitches, a sprint track, six tennis courts, twelve padel tennis courts, and an in- door sports complex." New plans have been submit- ted for the development of a sports complex at the former Flower Power nursery in Ta' Qali after first proposal was slated for refusal. The refusal of the 2022 plans was due to the project exceed- ing the amount of "ancillary" development foreseen in the Ta' Qali Action Plan. The ac- tion plan regulates develop- ment in this area. However, the latest plans still include a four-storey sports hotel and a sports retail centre, including a food court. The de- velopment had been slated for refusal by a case officer, but the decision was postponed earlier this year after the developers submitted new plans. "It is clear that such intensive development — and the activi- ty it will generate — on what is currently an open space in the ODZ will have a highly nega- tive impact on the visual land- scape, and lead to a degrada- tion in the quality of life in the surrounding localities, as well as damage the protected natu- ral areas next to it," Moviment Graffitti said. The NGO said in a coun- try like Malta, where land is among the most scarce and precious resources, and with overdevelopment being one of the major issues facing our nation, projects that consume this amount of green and open space should not even be con- sidered. "Moviment Graffitti strongly urges the Planning Authori- ty to safeguard our quality of life and natural environment by categorically refusing this application on Thursday," a statement read. 2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 JUNE 2025 2 KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt Graffitti want public to oppose massive development in Ta' Qali Former Flower Power nursery in Ta' Qali Maksar gang trial: Judge starts addressing jurors JUDGE Edwina Grima started addressing jurors on Tuesday before sending them to delib- erate on their verdict in the Maksar gang trial that has been going on since 24 April. Brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, and their associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio, known as Iċ-Ċiniż, stand accused of involvement in the murders of lawyer Carmel Chircop and journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Addressing the nine-member jury, the judge acknowledged that it had not been easy for the jurors to endure such a long jury process. It was a difficult journey, but the trial is now drawing to a close, she told them. Grima asked jurors to reach an impartial decision and not to be swayed by emotions or sentiments. She asked them to reach a decision independently, without allowing anyone or an- ything to influence their judge- ment. "You are equal to me here—I am not above you in this pro- cess. You will decide based on the evidence you have heard in this courtroom. What you are to decide must be based solely on the evidence presented here— nothing more and nothing less. You cannot reach a verdict be- cause you heard someone say something and allowed it to influence your decision," the judge told jurors. Grima reminded them they are not to judge the crime itself or the victims, but the four in- dividuals standing before them. "We've heard a lot. I'm sure you have seen and heard things, and perhaps even formed opin- ions. But now you must set all of that aside and focus only on the evidence you heard in this courtroom," she said. The judge pointed out that the defence had raised several arguments about whether the investigation was properly con- ducted, or whether evidence could have been obtained but wasn't. However, she warned jurors that it wasn't their job to "fill in" what they might feel are "gaps in the investigation". Grima told jurors to disregard comments made by the police commissioner in a press con- ference from 2021, which one of the defence lawyers attempt- ed to present as evidence but was chastised by the judge. The judge explained it was the jurors' duty to evaluate the evi- dence for the two murder cases separately. She said the mur- ders were not related to each other. "We have two juries of two murders in one trial," Gri- ma said. Caruana Galizia was mur- dered in October 2017 by a powerful car bomb. Three men, including George Degiorgio, are already serving time in jail for carrying out the hit. Chircop was murdered in 2015 after he was gunned down in a garage complex in Birkir- kara. Robert Agius and Jamie Vella are accused of complicity in the murder of Caruana Galizia by supplying the bomb that killed her. Adrian Agius is charged with commissioning Chircop's murder, while Vella and De- giorgio carried out the hit. The star witness for the pros- ecution was Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, who was granted a presidential pardon to tell all about the Chircop mur- der. Muscat is currently serving a 15-year jail term, following a plea bargain, which saw him ad- mit being part of the hit team in Caruana Galizia's murder. Lawyers Godwin Cini, Danika Vella and Anthony Vella from the Attorney General's office prosecuted. Lawyer Nicholas Mifsud as- sisted Adrian Agius. Lawyers Ishmael Psaila and Amade- us Cachia assisted Jamie Vel- la. Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene Darmanin assisted Robert Agius. Lawyers Noel Bianco and Leslie Cuschieri assisted George Degiorgio. Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia as- sisted the Caruana Galizia fam- ily as parte civile, while lawyer Vince Galea assisted the Chir- cop family.