Construction Authority Chair Resigns After Involvement In Birkirkara Dangerous Works, Chamber Of Architects Opens Probe
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) chairperson and architect Maria Schembri Grima has resigned from her position following her involvement in unsafe practices on a Birkirkara construction site.
This comes after the BCA recently issued a stop notice for a Joseph Portelli project that was operating under unsafe conditions.
While Schembri Grima was the chairperson of the BCA, she is also the architect behind the project for which the stop notice was issued by the authority she chaired.
The government announced her resignation yesterday following national outrage, with Schembri Grima saying that she wishes to focus on her personal career.
Moreover, Malta’s Chamber of Architects has just opened a disciplinary probe into Schembri Grima’s practice, which could lead to the suspension of her warrant.
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.
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