Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/683529
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 25 MAY 2016 7 TIM DIACONO PARLIAMENT will not get to discuss a motion of no confidence against OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, after the Opposition's appeal against a Speaker's ruling failed to win support from the gov- ernment side of the House. The motion failed with 30 votes in favour and 35 against. Independent MP Marlene Farrugia voted with the Opposition. Marlene Farrugia had originally presented a no confidence motion against Schembri, over his own- ership of an offshore company as revealed in the Panama Papers. However, upon the advice of the Speaker and the Clerk of the House, she amended it to one of censure in the Prime Minister's confidence in his chief of staff. In his ruling, Anglu Farrugia said that Schembri is not answerable to parliament, and that a no con- fidence motion should therefore be tabled against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, as the person who employed him on a position of trust basis. However, the Opposition called the Speaker out for adopting "two weights, two measures", after his predecessor had green-lighted a no confidence motion against Malta's former representative to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana. The Speaker argued that Cachia Caruana, unlike Schembri, had ful- filled functions stemming from the Constitution. Farrugia was not pre- sent for the debate, as he was abroad on parliamentary duty, vacating his seat to deputy Speaker and PN MP Censu Galea. Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat was only present for the end of the debate; neither he nor Op- position leader Si- mon Busuttil de- livered speeches. Instead, the most passion- ate speech was given by Marlene F a r r u g i a who urged her former colleagues to vote with the Opposition so that "common sense can prevail". She noted that her original mo- tion had proposed the formation of an ad hoc parliamentary committee to investigate Schembri – whom she described as "an untouchable" – and other witnesses. "I didn't think that there would be any problems with my motion, just as there wasn't a problem in the motion against Cachia Caruana," she said. "However, the day after I tabled it, while I was drinking Kin- nie and eating low-fat Twistees, the Speaker called me to tell me that the motion was inadmissible. I was then faced with a choice – to discard the motion entirely or change it accord- ingly." She questioned why Schembri has such a "grip" over Labour MPs, so much so that they are refusing to see a parliamentary committee in- vestigate – and possibly exonerate – him. She ripped into the Labour gov- ernment for making "U-turns" on good governance, environment and planning laws following the elec- tion. "Instead of discussing social hous- ing problems, increases in the mini- mum wage, and fighting precarious jobs, I was forced to table this mo- tion to the only sovereign institu- tion that this country has left," she said. "However, the government chose to reject my proposal for Schembri to be investigated." 'Schembri debate would create ugly precedent' – justice minister Justice minister Owen Bonnici warned that Parliament would have created an "ugly precedent" had the Speaker allowed Farrugia's motion to pass in its original form. "Do we want to reach a stage whereby the government of the day can use its parliamentary ma- jority to chuck out anybody in the public service?" he questioned. He hit out at the Opposition for "dam- aging the c o u n t r y ' s institutions", arguing that Busuttil has attacked every institution on the island. "[Credit rating agency] Moody's r e c e n t l y praised the rule of law, government effec- tiveness and control of corruption in Malta," he said. "I think the pub- lic have more faith in Moody's than in Simon Busuttil." Here, Marlene Farrugia stood up on a point of information to note that Moody's had given Lehman Brother an AAA rating right before it had collapsed – to claps from Bu- suttil. "You see, he doesn't even trust Moody's," a bemused Bonnici re- marked. 'Many questions on Panama Papers still unanswered' Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi warned that several critical ques- tions remain unanswered over Schembri's and Mizzi's offshore companies. He questioned why Nexia BT had negotiated with Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca on behalf of Schembri himself, rather than his business Kasco. He also asked why he had wanted to set up waste recycling and online gaming busi- nesses – allegedly with Mizzi as a co-partner – and whether an audit on the OPM chief of staff has com- menced as he had promised three months ago. He recalled Schembri and Mizzi's "frenzied attempts" to open bank accounts for their offshore compa- nies. "They tried to open accounts at nine different banks from all four corners of the world, and the Swiss bank [BSI] that eventually green- lighted them only did so on condi- tion that they deposit €800,000 a year into it. Where was this money going to come from?" He added that Switzerland's At- torney General today commenced criminal proceedings against that same bank over links to corrup- tion allegations against a Malaysian fund, and that the BBC described the bank as a "private bank that of- fers its services to high net-worth individuals". "Why did Nexia insist on the anonymity of their clients if they weren't doing something wrong?" he asked. "The only people who hide are those with something to hide. This is a textbook case of sus- pected money laundering and tax evasion, and yet the authorities have not started investigating." He closed his speech by telling the public to remember that Schembri and Mizzi are "evading tax with the Prime Minister's blessing" the next time they submit their tax returns. News PLANNING AUTHORITY This is a list of complete applica ons received by the Planning Authority. The applica ons are set out by locality, and within each locality in reference number order. Any representa ons on these applica ons should be made in wri ng and received at the offices of the Planning Authority, St. Francis Ravelin, Floriana or through e-mail address respresenta ons@pa.org.mt within the period specified below, quo ng the reference number. Representa ons may also be submi ed anonymously. All submissions to the Planning Authority, submi ed within the specified period, will be taken into considera on and will be made public. 25 th MAY 2016 APPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT PERMISSION RECEIVED BY THE PLANNING AUTHORITY NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATIONS 6(1), 7(1), 7(2) AND 7(3) OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATIONS AND THEIR DETERMINATION REGULATIONS, 2010) ANY REPRESENTATIONS ON THE FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN TWENTY DAYS FROM DATE OF THIS NOTICE MSIDA PA/04522/15: To demolish exis ng building and construct semi-basement parking and overlying four apartments and one penthouse. Baron Group Of Camponies A n: Saviour Tabone, Casa Savonia, Triq Tal- Qroqq, Msida. Proposal changed from original submission NAXXAR PA/02745/09: Redevelopment of an exis ng Concrete produc on plant into an industrial park including an administra on block, industrial spaces, and a car park. Mr. Jesmond Vassallo Pio Vassallo OBO VIP SOuth Ltd & VIP North Ltd, VCS Ltd., Triq Burmarrad, Naxxar. Applica on changed from outline to full QORMI PA/01417/16: Change of use from class 4B shop to 'take-away', fixing of sign and the sanc- oning of roller shu er. Robert Schembri, 37, Triq L- Imdina, Qormi. Site changed from original submission SAn PAwl il-BAhAr PA/03766/14: Demoli on of dilapidated bungalow and construc on of a 5 storey block of 10 flats with an overlying receded floor and three underlying basement parking floors. Ms. Moira Grech Sant, 97/98/99, It- Telgha Tax- Xemxija, Xemxija, San Pawl il-Baħar. Proposal changed from original submission SengleA (iSlA) PA/03682/15: Altera ons, addi ons and changes on facade. Ms. Catherine Weinburg, 3, Triq Dingli Cornelio, Senglea (Isla). Loca on address changed from original submission Details and drawing of these applica ons can be viewed online at www.pa.gov.mt (to e-ID users) and at the offices of the Planning Authority in Floriana or Triq Sir Luigi Camilleri, Victoria (Gozo). *Applica ons typed in bold/italics are for re-issued Site no ces extra advert.indd 1 23/05/2016 16:39:28 No Parliament debate against Keith Schembri as Opposition motion fails Parliament convenes to debate the Opposition's motion that appeals the Speaker's decision not to allow a no confidence motion against OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri