Letters: 26 October 2014

Clarification on Dalligate

Following the publication of the article “Dalligate, two years later” (October 19, MaltaToday) OLAF [the EU anti-fraud agency] would like to clarify the following issues.

 In the case concerning former Commissioner Dalli, OLAF carried out a thorough investigation which revealed serious, verified and verifiable facts. OLAF has accurately reported these facts to the competent authorities for follow-up. Subsequent criminal investigations and court proceedings on the liabilities of the persons concerned are ongoing.

OLAF has not exercised pressure on any witnesses or persons concerned. You assert that the OLAF Supervisory Committee “accused OLAF of instructing the key Dalligate witness – a Maltese-based lobbyist, Gayle Kimberly – to lie”. At no point in the publicly available Opinion of the Supervisory Committee is there any mention of such an accusation. 

Your assertion is therefore absolutely false and misleading. OLAF reserves its right to have recourse to any legal action available in order to defend its reputation against such statements.

The assessment of the legality of OLAF’s investigations lies solely and exclusively with the competent courts. To date, there has been no court ruling concerning this case.

OLAF is ready to cooperate with the Maltese judicial authorities if and when they should formally request OLAF staff to testify.”

OLAF press office

The new archbishop

We have to draw the line between what is spiritual and profane and then what is pastoral and administrative.

All parish priests should be scrutinized and checked on how they are carrying out their pastoral work.  They must do home visits helping families, the sick, the abandoned, the lonely, and old people. Parish priests must be totally forbidden from anything profane, such as politics and village feasts.

There should be an overhaul of the Curia and job descriptions must be given to all valid Monsignors; not productive ones to be retired.

Remove all canons; no more collegiate churches. Reorganise all religious orders, all to be part of the diocesan management.

The APS bank, joint office property, all properties of all religious orders must be managed for poor families, refugees, missionaries, education, old age welfare; it is a shame to leave large buildings empty and deteriorating; EU funds can be sought and the refugees could earn their living by rendering services in these houses and homes. Religious tours could be organised in empty convents.

I would expect in this NeuroAge that the archbishop would have management skills; leading by example is not enough, he must have the ability to take over the Church in Malta and carry out the necessary measures to run the Church in a secular State.

Alfred Galea, San Gwann

Revision of planning conditions

Reference is being made to an article published in MaltaToday (October 15, ‘MEPA to decide on revocation of Rabat communications hub’).

The authority would like to clarify that the MEPA board met on Thursday, October 16, 2014 to discuss a request to amend and not revoke the planning permit for the communication tower in Dwejra, Rabat. 

The request to amend a condition to this planning permission was initiated by MEPA after it was informed by the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) that it could not honour a planning permit condition imposed in PA5885/06, since MCA can never enter into a legal agreement with an applicant.

On Thursday, the MEPA board approved the request to change the wording of this planning condition to address the issue raised by the Malta Communications Authority. 

The revised condition still addresses the requirements of the previous condition, which condition obliges the applicant to ensure that the permitted transmitting structure must accommodate all eventual operators requiring such a facility in the area.

Peter Gingell, PR & Communications Manager, MEPA

Foul oil smell over Cottonera

For about a week now – mainly in the evenings and at night – residents of Cospicua and Senglea have lived behind closed windows. A pervasive, nauseating and headache-inducing smell of oil has invaded our cities, which seems to emanate from the dockyard below the bastion, and is felt all over town.

The matter was immediately brought to the attention of the authorities. Sadly, so far, it has been met mostly with resignation, disinterest or indifference.

Isabelle Cerruti, Senglea