Judge dismisses Muscat’s attempt to ‘start a new case’ in hospitals saga
A judge has rejected former PM Joseph Muscat’s effort to introduce a new element into his legal objections concerning an inquiry he is currently confronting. Madame Justice Doreen Clarke determined that Muscat’s request amounted to “an attempt to initiate a new case” based on information that emerged during the proceedings he initiated last year. Muscat contends that the ongoing magisterial inquiry into the annulled hospitals privatization deal violates his rights. This setback adds to Muscat’s unsuccessful endeavours to have the magistrate overseeing the inquiry, Gabriella Vella, removed from his case. Muscat expressed discontent with Monday’s court decision in a Facebook post, asserting that he was being treated differently from others. (Times of Malta)
Governance concerns found in government propery leasing – NAO A preliminary review of the leasing of private property by Government has uncovered governance concerns, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. Auditor General Charles Deguara presented the preliminary review to Speaker of the House of Representatives Anġlu Farrugia. This review was primarily intended to identify the private properties being leased by governmental entities across Malta and Gozo and to analyse their main characteristics. “The leasing of private property by Governmental Entities has been increasing over the years mainly due to the expansion of public services and the establishment of new Entities. An NAO survey showed that as at end December 2022, Governmental Entities were leasing at least 260 properties from the private sector. This figure excludes property where leasing costs were less than €1,000 annually,” the NAO said. (The Malta Independent)
PA launches consultation on policy related to building heights
The Planning Authority is encouraging the public to share their input on a proposal designed to “clarify” the stipulations of a planning policy regarding building heights that was introduced in 2015. The 2015 policy involved converting the floor-based height restrictions outlined in local plans into a metric measurement, enabling the endorsement of five-storey constructions in the majority of urban areas. The central government has requested this policy with the aim of providing further clarity to the provisions established in 2015. The objective is to “specify the number of permissible levels for all the variations in facade heights and overall heights in meters” within the policy. (Maltatoday)
