Gżira Mayor Responds To Claims That He Obstructed Due Process In Controversial Petrol Station Relocation
Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manché has responded to claims that he did not let a petrol station owner speak at a council meeting regarding the controversial relocation of said station to a nearby garden.
“Whilst Councillor Calleja Zammit thinks that Simon Muscat (the petrol station owner) had the right as a resident to talk, the mayor during the same meeting explained why he took the decision not to allow the council meeting to be turned into a forum for the developer. The mayor explained that since the petrol station owner had the permit in hand to construct a fuel station in a public garden, there was no mitigation,” the local council said in a press release.
Borg Manché also clarified with Lovin Malta that it is his prerogative to let someone speak during a council meeting and would have had to suspend it, and reduce it a committee stage, in order to allow for Muscat to speak.
Last week, local councillor Alexander Calleja Zammit spoke to Lovin Malta claiming that a “lack of due process” was the reason why he abstained from a vote to stop the Manoel island petrol station from being relocated to the Gżira’s only green space, the Council of Europe garden.
“The councillors undersigned confirm that there was no lack of due process, on the contrary, Claire Bonello who is appearing for the council explained the outcome from the appeal by the EPRT and explained the grounds and the way forward. She also answered all the questions posed by all the councillors present,” the local council said in response to the allegations.
Calleja Zammit also mentioned how police had been called to the meeting in an attempt by the council to stop Muscat from attending.
“The mayor confirms that the police were contacted just to have a heads up for the safety of the councillors. Apparently the Police Inspector contacted Simon Muscat prior to the meeting.”
“The mayor didn’t mention this to anyone. The time of the urgent meeting was not communicated to the general public. But the owner of the petrol station still was informed by someone and attended the meeting.”
“With reference to the allegation that the mayor picks and chooses the projects is completely baseless and unfounded. The councillors confirm that the mayor never took any decisions with regards to any project without discussing it during council meetings,” the council said.
The Gżira local council has unanimously agreed to appeal a permit to relocate the petrol station to the locality’s largest green space after its initial appeal was dismissed several weeks ago.
The matter will be taken to the Courts of Justice.
Lovin Malta has reached out to the petrol station owner for a comment.
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