Activists hailing from Moviment Graffitti are expressing their anger at the current works happening on the site of the ex-Mistra Village in Xemxija.

Machinery and workers started bulldozing the area on 27th March as part of a controversial project to build a 12-storey, 744-apartment complex on Mistra Ridge.

However, the application in question is still currently being heard in the Court of Appeals, with the court’s verdict set to be given on 10th May.

“Given that the site in question has been left abandoned and dilapidated for several years, the fact that works have started now, weeks before the final verdict on the appeal, is nothing but an arrogant move from the side of the developers to put pressure on the court while disregarding the right of appellants to appeal a case,” Moviment Graffitti said in a statement.

“Moviment Graffitti condemns this arrogant attitude and points out the fact that citizens have the right to appeal, and clearly, the obvious decision should be to halt works until the verdict of the appeal is announced.”

“Allowing these works to start early simply makes a farce of our legal system and tips the scales in the developer’s favour against the rights of average citizens, when it is they who will suffer the most, putting up with years of construction, and a monstrous development that has raised countless concerns, questions, and objections.”

Recently, residents also filed a parliamentary petition after excavation works started at the site before the permit was granted.

The area has long been facing this dispute after a permit that was approved back in 2013 was rendered as wrong by the Ombudsman.

Then, in 2018, the developer once again applied to renew the permit, leading to residents appealing the permit and later on filing a court case to ensure that the area is not developed.