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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 MAY 2014 News 4 Fenech demands Henley contract publication before elections MATTHEW VELLA PAC chairman Tonio Fenech has called an urgent meeting of the pub- lic accounts committee, to discuss the next steps for the committee to discuss the contract between the government and IIP concessionaires Henley & Partners. Henley are the main concession- aires for Malta's sale of citizenship programme. The contract for the concession- aires has so far never been made public. "The PN will insist that the entire contract is published so that the PAC can carry out the necessary scrutiny. Monday's ruling means government has nothing more to hide." Speaker of the House Anglu Farru- gia on Monday ruled that the parlia- mentary public accounts committee was empowered to demand that the contract be presented in commit- tee. The ruling was requested by the PAC chairman Tonio Fenech. "It is not acceptable that govern- ment delays the publication of this contract," Tonio Fenech said. "If it ahs nothing to hide, the government should publish the Henley contract now and not wait until the election passes on Saturday." Fenech also said the party ex- pected an apology from the Prime Minister after reiterating claims by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici that the contract could not be published because it had been presented in a court case. Speaker Anglu Farrugia on Mon- day confirmed that parliament was sovereign and could discuss any- thing in the national interest, apart from not being subject to what is heard in the courts. Standing Or- ders empowered the committee to request the production of witnesses and documents to assist in its delib- erations. In a statement issued by the Of- fice of the Prime Minister on Mon- day, the government said it will be publishing all information after the Public Accounts Committee puts forward its request. The informa- tion will exclude commercially sen- sitive information. "The Prime Minister has already committed himself that the contract will be up for scrutiny," the OPM said. It added that the Speaker's rul- ing confirmed that it was the PAC – and not an individual member – who could call for the publication of the contract. "When the time comes for it to be discussed and after the PAC makes the request, the government will be publishing all information, exclud- ing commercially sensitive informa- tion, " the OPM said. After the Speaker read his ruling on Monday, Tonio Fenech raised a breach of privilege complaint against Justice Minister Owen Bon- nici, saying he had deliberately mis- led the committee by claiming that a court had issued a decree banning publication of the Henley contract. Bonnici said he had never intended to mislead the committee, claiming that there was a court decree saying that the documents presented were restricted to the parties of the case – documents he said the PAC was sure to need in its debate. Fenech later accepted Bonnici's declaration that he had not intend- ed to mislead, regretting however that four days had passed since his claims. Fenech then withdrew his privilege complaint. PAC chairman Tonio Fenech convenes committee meeting with urgency in a bid to publish contract before Saturday's election MATTHEW VELLA LABOUR MEP Joseph Cuschieri, who said he will donate half his MEP's salary if re-elected, has been officially endorsed by the hunting lobby. The FKNK yesterday said that "useful and cordial meetings" were held with the head of the Labour delegation, whom it described as having shown "attention, effort and interest in traditional socio-cultural Maltese traditions of hunting and trapping during the outgoing Par- liament legislation". The hunting lobby said the FKNK is supporting Cuschieri's candida- ture. "Should he be re-elected, he agreed to consult FKNK's specialist services in any matter that may regard biodi- versity, rural activities, sustainable hunting and trapping, environment conservation, wild birds' migration, birds' rearing and captive-breeding and the re-introduction into the wild of bird species." Cuschieri, who decided to contest the MEP elections just days after announcing he would not contest in protest at the lack of attention he had received from the Labour Party, could be expected to curry favour from Alfred Sant voters who given him their second preference. The former Labour prime minis- ter yesterday also said that if elected MEP, he would secure for Maltese hunters and trappers "treatment that was fully equal and equivalent to that accorded to other EU citi- zens in their home country". Sant said that Malta had to re- spect EU laws on hunting, but also pointed out that hunters believed that these rules were being applied to Malta more stringently than in the rest of the EU. "Many derogations to the rules were allowed in other EU member states but denied to Malta. The present government is trying to obtain clarifications of the existing rules that would allow more space within which hunters and trappers could exercise their activities legal- ly. I have asked to receive copies of all rules that seemed to give better treatment to other countries." THE police are searching for two men after a hold-up on an employee at a hotel in Gzira. At 3.15am yesterday, the police were informed that a hold up had just taken place at 115, The Strand, Gzira, when Diane Calleja, 23, from Gzira, was behind the reception desk and two hooded men entered the aparthotel. One of the robbers – who spoke in a foreign sounding accent – was brandishing a knife as the robbers threatened the receptionist to hand over the money. One of the men went behind the reception desk, stealing €600 from one drawer and €500 from another. Both men fled the scene, and no- body was injured. First to arrive on the scene were units from the Rapid Intervention Unit and the District Police led by In- spector Sandro Millo. Scene of the Crime Officers lifted CCTV footage for further investiga- tions. JAMES DEBONO AN appeals tribunal has overturned a decision by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority not to issue a permit for the use of an existing exhibition centre in the Limestone Heritage Park in Siggiewi as a wed- ding hall. In its decision, the appeals tribunal noted that the exhibition centre will only be used as a wedding hall after 7pm, which would not affect its prima- ry use as a museum. It also concluded that since the reception hall will only be used in the evening, there will be no need for new parking spaces. MEPA had originally issued a permit for the ODZ exhibition hall because this was considered as an innovative way of rehabilitating a disused quarry. But in April 2013, MEPA rejected the application to allow the use of the same venue as a reception hall. Such use was also deemed to fill in a void long felt in the appreciation of the local cultural heritage. During the appeal, MEPA's lawyer Anthony De Geatano argued that transforming this space "into what is basically a wedding hall eliminates all the justification why the complex has been approved in the first place". De Geatano argued that there is no justification for the proposed develop- ment as to be located in an area desig- nated for development. But the applicant argued that the proposal's main aim is to make use of the exhibition hall after 7.00pm, when the Limestone Heritage would be closed to visitors, and that the pro- posal's suggestions may help to pro- vide much-needed additional income for the museum. In its decision, the appeals tribunal compared the use of the exhibition centre as a reception hall to similar facilities in ODZ hotels catering for receptions. It also claimed that the use of the exhibition space for receptions will result in a more efficient use of land. Labour MEP secures precious endorsement from hunters Two hooded men make off with €1,100 from Gzira aparthotel Permit issued for wedding hall at Limestone Heritage Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri Tonio Fenech

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