The chairman of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, Andrew Calleja, has filed a libel suit against Alternattiva Demokratika secretary-general Victor Galea.
In the writ, filed in MEPA’s name, Calleja said MEPA felt libelled by an allegation appearing on a press release published on Alternattiva’s website on 3 December 2007.
Calleja has requested the court to find against Galea for defamatory allegations made on the party’s website in December 2007.
The alleged libel concerns a statement by Victor Galea on the non-renewal of the contract of MEPA audit office investigator Carmel Cacopardo, now an AD candidate.
In a press statement Victor Galea had said: “The comments made by Joseph Falzon MEPA’s Audit Officer confirm that the non-renewal of Architect Carmel Cacopardo’s contract as an investigation officer at the MEPA Audit Office, was in part motivated by his participation in an AD activity.”
Galea had called for the immediate publication of various audit reports which he said had been left under wraps. He singled out the investigation on the Sant’ Antnin Waste Recycling Plant at Marsascala.
Victor Galea had also called for an investigation into “meetings behind close doors held by the MEPA’s chairman with developers”, to establish what was discussed and decided.