Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/856150
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 2 AUGUST 2017 4 News Former FIAU inspector Jonathan Ferris claims discriminatory treatment MATTHEW VELLA A former police inspector whose employment at the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit was terminated during his proba- tionary period, has asked a court to declare he was the victim of discriminatory treatment. Jonathan Ferris, 44, was in- formed on 16 June, 2017 by the FIAU director that his contract of service as manager in the FIAU's financial analysis section would be terminated during the probationary period. Ferris claimed in his protest to the courts, that his termina- tion of employment was politi- cally motivated, referring spe- cifically to comments made by finance minister Edward Sci- cluna in Brussels which Ferris said were "without doubt the politically partisan background that informed the actions of the [FIAU]." Ferris was referring to Sci- cluna's comments where he surmised that excerpts of FIAU investigations into the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Keith Schembri, and tourism minister Konrad Mizzi, had been written with an intent to be leaked to the press in the run-up to the elec- tion. Ferris said he had made de- tailed investigations during his time at the FIAU on politically exposed persons, suggesting that his sacking was an attempt to intimidate him or bring these investigations to fruition. In an interview with the Times of Malta, Ferris claimed he was sidelined at the government's anti-money-laundering agency (the FIAU) just days after a Rus- sian whistleblower claimed the Panama company Egrant was owned by the Prime Minister's wife. The Egrant claim, reported by Daphne Caruana Galizia on her blog, has been vehemently denied by Joseph and Michelle Muscat and is the subject of a magisterial inquiry initiated by the Prime Minister. On May 2, about a week and a half after the claim emerged, Ferris said he was informed by his superiors that he was being taken off all government inves- tigations. A leaked extract from an un- finished investigation had also alleged money was transferred to a Dubai company called 17 Black by the local company be- hind the LNG tanker powering the new gas-fired station. Ac- cording to the extract, 17 Black was listed as the firm that would pay into the once-secret Panama companies owned by Schembri and Mizzi. Both have denied the allega- tions, and the FIAU has said no conclusive report exists. The police has denied Ferris's claim that reports relating to Schembri were ignored by po- lice. "Files were registered and processed as in similar cases," the police said, adding that it was "shameful" that seeds of doubt about the corps's integrity were being sown "through non- existent facts." The FIAU also categorically denied the claims, saying it al- ways allowed its officials to car- ry out their work freely and with the independence their function required. It said it always carried out its duties according to law and in a correct manner and the FIAU management acted cor- rectly and responsibly in its best interests and in the interests of society. Ferris's protest was signed by lawyers Roselyn Borg, Andrew Borg Cardona, and Jason Azzo- pardi. Saghtrija illegalities set to be regularised File photo of Jonathan Ferris accompanying OLAF head Giovanni Kessler to a Maltese court in the case against Silvio Zammit JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Commission intends to ap- prove an application to regularise various illegally developed ODZ structures in the grounds of the Hal Saghtrija complex de- spite objections by both the Environment and Resources Authority and the Plan- ning Directorate. The application, presented by entrepre- neur Joseph Portelli, aims to legalise vari- ous illegal structures in the countryside around the Saghtrija resort in Zebbug, Gozo. The illegalities awaiting sanctioning in- clude a 38m2 chapel, a 38m2 horse stable with paddock, a 22m2 sheep pan, a 23m2 chicken coop and a 36m2 agricultural store. While the case officer called on the PA to refuse the application, the Planning Commission chaired by Elizabeth Ellul argued at a meeting yesterday that the proposed development is ancillary to the Hal Saghtrija Complex and within the boundaries of the complex. It called on the architect to submit plans showing the access from the complex to the site. The board noted that this application was compliant with the Rural Policy ap- proved in 2014, citing one of the vaguest paragraphs included in the policy which states that "the spirit" of the policy is to "allow whoever genuinely needs to up- grade or redevelop an existing building or to construct a new one outside the devel- opment zone." The paragraph invoked by the commission also states applications in the ODZ "may be considered on their own merits" if it is felt that the proposal will generate an improvement to the area where it is located. Since the board intends to overturn the case officer's recommendation the deci- sion was postponed to 12 September. According to the case officer the animal enclosure and stable requested for sanc- tioning are constructed in rubble stone instead of lightweight material and timber as required by the Rural Policy. Further- more, the external floor area of the horse stable exceeds the maximum permissible footprint of 25m2. With regard to the 36m2 agricultural store, it was noted that this was originally indicated as a kitchen and submitted photos confirm that the use of this structure is not related to any agricultural activity. While describing the small chapel as "aesthetically pleasing", the case officer noted that such structures are "not con- sidered legitimate within the rural con- text." The case officer also notes that although Joseph Portelli, who is one of the owners of the Saghtrija complex, is registered as an arable farmer of eight tumoli of land no proof regarding any ongoing agricultural activity has been provided. Moreover to be eligible for a 36m2 agricultural store, one has to have 10 tumoli of land regis- tered in one's name. The Environment and Resources Au- thority objected to the regularisation of the various illegal structures at the Saghtrija residential complex, adding that regularisation would have adverse, cumu- lative environmental impacts including "the scattering of structures which could have easily been located within desig- nated urban areas". The Planning Com- mission also seems intent on approving another application presented by Portelli to construct five timber stables (occupy- ing 156m2) and two paddocks in another area of Hal Saghtrija in an area designated for its landscape value. According to the ERA the area where the stables are being proposed originally consisted of garigue. Instead of refusing the development as recommended by the Planning Directo- rate, the Planning Commission has called for some changes to the plans to ensure that the development conforms to policy. Hal Saghtrija is a residential project de- veloped by Menfi Ltd, a consortium of Maltese and Gozitan companies, which includes Adrian Buttigieg, Alfred Man- gion, Joseph Portelli and former Gozitan MP Franco Mercieca. The Saghtrija complex consists of 75 luxury apartments perched on the Zeb- bug hill. The construction outside development zones at Ta' Saghtrija was approved in 2009 in a vote in which three board mem- bers, including present Environment Planning Commission chairman Eliza- beth Ellul, had voted against. Build now, sanction later: 38m2 chapel and 36m2 store are set to be regularised by the Planning Authority Gas cylinder prices raised to €15.50 A 12kg gas cylinder will as of today cost €15.50, an increase of €1, after a rise in the international prices of liquefied pe- troleum gas during the last weeks, the Regulator for Energy and Water Services announced. Over the last five years, the price of gas peaked in January 2013, when a 12kg cylinder cost €19.50, before sta- bilising at €15 in August 2015 until the following April. Gas prices then hit their lowest mark, €14.50, in May 2016, remaining constant until last month. According to the Regulator for En- ergy and Water Services, the price of the larger cylinders is to be calculated pro rata.