Building Authority Halts Joseph Portelli’s Birkirkara Project Which Its Own Chair Is Architect Of Due To Unsafe Conditions
Malta’s Building and Construction Authority recently issued a stop notice for a project in Birkirkara that was operating under unsafe conditions.
What makes matters worse is that the chairperson of the BCA, Maria Schembri Grima, is also the architect behind the project for which the stop notice was issued by the authority she chairs.
The project, which is led by construction magnate Joseph Portelli, was halted after large boulders fell into the street during the demolition phase of the project.
The applicant was listed as Mark Agius on behalf of Excel Investments, one of Portelli’s partners, with the architect being Schembri Grima herself.
The permit had been approved back in November 2022, with the BCA giving the go-ahead at the start of this month.
Joseph Portelli
Yesterday, the stop notice was issued by the BCA’s CEO, ordering that all works be stopped immediately due to the demolition not being in line with the originally filed method statement.
It has now been reported by MaltaToday that Schembri Grima is facing internal pressure to resign, due to her involvement in an unsafe project while chairing the authority that overlooks such works.
Schembri Grima is often involved in major projects by leading developers such as Portelli or Michael Stivala. It goes without saying that this places her in situations that could lead to major conflicts of interest with her role as chairperson of the national construction regulator.
What do you make of this case?
READ NEXT: Isn’t It Ironic? Plaque Commemorating Tree Planting Crushes Nearby Sapling In Viral Photo
