A public meeting packed with employees from the Ta’ Cenc Hotel yesterday degenerated to the point that police had to intervene to stop a member of the public from assailing Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Harry Vassallo, after he alleged that the Ta’ Cenc developers were using mafia tactics by forcing their employees to attend the meeting.
The stormy meeting brought both sides of the divide on the Ta’ Cenc development under the same roof for public consultation over Victor Borg’s proposed development at Ta’ Cenc.
Borg is proposing the development of a new hotel, 38 villas at the picturesque Mgarr ix-Xini, and 33 bungalows over Ta’ Cenc.
Vassallo also clashed with EIA coordinator Paul Gauci after questioning the latter’s credentials to speak on the legal aspects of public accessibility to Ta’ Cenc.
Gauci accused Vassallo of making political propaganda: “The participation of political parties only serves to degenerate these meetings... You should simply go to a public square if you are here for political mileage.”

Paul Gauci’s “neutrality” as EIA coordinator was also questioned by Moviment Graffitti’s representative David Pisani. Gauci replied that he was irked by the mentality of accusing those who disagree as ‘biased’, in turn accusing Pisani of being a “liar and a clown”, and challenging Pisani to sue him if he felt aggrieved by his words.
Gauci even lashed out at what he called “three-pence journalists”, later telling the MaltaToday journalist during the coffee break that he was referring to him.
Another tense moment during the meeting was when GRTU president Paul Abela intervened to stop BirdLife executive director Tolga Temuge from speaking in English.
Temuge was asking Victor Borg whether he intended to develop a golf course in the future. Applauded by the crowd, Paul Abela insisted that the meeting should proceed in Maltese and that Temuge, a Turkish national, should not be allowed to speak in English.
Following the commotion, developer Victor Borg calmed those present, and told Temuge that if he could speak in English if he so wished.
Answering Temuge’s question, Paul Gauci replied that the developer had not yet decided whether to develop a golf course on Zone 7 of the project.
But he also revealed that MEPA officials had instructed the developers not to discuss the status of this zone which was yet to be determined by another EIA.
Earlier on during the meeting, Din l-Art Helwa’s Pietra Bianci pointed out that since Gauci was interpreting the Structure Plan to that Mgarr ix-Xini was in the “vicinity” of the hotel, he could easily argue that Zone 7 – which is closer to the hotel – could also qualify for residential development.
The issue refers to a point of contention over the interpretation of the Structure Plan and whether development can take place or not at Ta’ Cenc.
Gauci insisted that the development did not violate the Structure Plan, the guide to planning for the Maltese islands, and said the plan’s author Bill Thompson had been instructed in the British planning school which gives a vague definition to the word vicinity.
“When planners want to give a stricter definition to the word vicinity, they use the terms ‘near’ or ‘immediate’ vicinity,” Gauci said.
All the environmental NGOs present, which included the Ramblers Association, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Graffiti, Nature Trust, BirdLife and Din l-Art Helwa, objected to the development.
Victor Borg accused the NGOs of being “greedy”.
Referring to their stand against any development in the area, Borg told the NGOs present: “You are not just greedy; you want it all.”
He also challenged the NGOs to name one place in Malta where so many studies were conducted on a particular development, boasting that he had already removed 33 villas from the original proposal.
Taking a jibe at politicians, Borg added: “Had I given half a villa of these 33 to each member of parliament I would not have had all these problems.”
Apart from the NGO representatives, the vast majority of those who spoke praised Borg. A general manager of the Ta’ Cenc hotel compared the project to Christ when he was sent in front of Pontius Pilate.
Another said: “nobody, not even Cisk, has given so much land to the public”, referring to the late entrepreneur Marquis John Scicluna.
Also present for the meeting, GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia described the Ta’ Cenc Hotel as the “queen of Malta’s tourism industry” and lauded Borg for finding a balance between the environment and the economy.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt