Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537750
NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt 3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 JULY 2025 NEWS PN slams Italian police patrols as 'certificate of government failure' ASKING the Italian police for help in tourist areas is "nothing short of a certificate of failure", the Nationalist Party has said. In a statement on Tuesday, the PN condemned the govern- ment's decision to bring in eight Italian police officers to help pa- trol tourist areas. The party de- scribed the decision as a "blow to our nation's sovereignty". "Malta has a Police Force made up of dedicated officers, but this Government has left them behind and failed to invest in them. Now it is disrespecting them further by calling on the police force of another country." It said it is expressing full sol- idarity with the officers of the police force, who have to work with limited resources despite a growing population and "in- creasingly irresponsible tour- ism". "It is regrettable that the hard work of operators in the tour- ism sector is being squandered by a government lacking com- mitment and the political will to invest in the most crucial areas," it said. The PN said the help is ap- preciated but it was the gov- ernment's responsibility to maintain a standard of quality tourism. "It failed to safeguard the country's security. And it has now had to resort to the se- curity forces of another country to maintain order in Malta." "A new PN Government will allocate the best resources to rebuild the reputation of the Police Force, providing officers with the best tools and neces- sary training, while also restor- ing the tourism sector – based on quality – to the top of Malta and Gozo's economic priorities for the future." On Monday evening, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camill- eri announced that Italian po- lice officers will be on patrol in Malta but with no executive re- sponsibilities. He said this is part of coopera- tion efforts with other countries. He posted a photo on Facebook of Maltese police officers on pa- trol in France. "As we learn from one anoth- er, the executive responsibility rests with the Maltese police," he said. Maltese police officers will retain sole executive responsibility while Italian police officers are in Malta (Photo: Malta Police Force) Residents in Marsaxlokk have raised concerns over ongoing site clearance at the former Hunters Tower restaurant, despite summer regulations prohibiting demolition and excavation in tourist zones CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MaltaToday has been in- formed that demolition and excavation works were com- pleted some weeks ago. How- ever, heavy machinery was still being used to clear the site on Monday, causing dust and in- convenience in the area. This was confirmed by recent photos showing machinery clearing and piling debris at the site. However, since the ban only applies to "excavation and demolition" works, it remains unclear whether the current activity is actually in breach of regulations. A spokesperson for the Build- ing and Construction Author- ity (BCA) confirmed that the agency is currently in contact with the MTA, who are the authority responsible for regu- lating activity in such zones, to establish whether the site falls within the scope of the summer breaktime regulations. "Both the BCA and MTA are closely monitoring the situa- tion and will take the necessary action should any breaches of the law be identified," a spokes- person said. They also specified that dur- ing two inspections conducted at the site, no excavation or demolition activity was ob- served. A video sent to MaltaToday by a resident shows a mechan- ical digger excavating rock on the site. MaltaToday could not verify when the video was taken but according to the resident, the excavation work was hap- pening on Monday morning. A MaltaToday videographer present on site late on Monday morning captured a mechani- cal shovel shifting debris from one side to another, while the digger was parked. Marsaxlokk residents raise concern over ongoing site clearance during summer break Photos of the site in Marsaxlokk, where ongoing works can be seen (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)