The contract was awarded to Bonnici Bros Ltd, justified by the claim that the contractor was “already carrying out works within the same area.”

The documents also verify that the gravel was imported from Greece, a fact reinforced by a one-page declaration presented in Parliament, showing that taxpayer funds were spent abroad rather than supporting local suppliers.

Momentum is deeply concerned that no statutory permits were obtained from the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), nor was an Environmental Impact Assessment conducted. The gravel covered approximately 30,000 m² and involved importing roughly 5,000 tonnes of non-native rock mixture onto Maltese soil.

Authorities defended the lack of oversight, claiming the project “does not require any statutory permit from ERA” and is part of the “ongoing maintenance process of the picnic area and grounds.”

“The FOI and parliamentary declaration confirm over €300,000 was spent on imported gravel. By labeling this major expenditure as routine ‘maintenance,’ authorities avoided environmental scrutiny and competitive tendering. This was entirely unnecessary and evidently a failure. Imagine the difference this money could have made in healthcare, education, scholarships, or helping people in need,” stated Momentum’s secretary general Mark Camilleri Gambin.

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Credit: Thomas Camilleri via Facebook