Clint Camilleri Cancels Meeting With NGO ‘Just An Hour Before’, After They Crossed Over To Gozo
Environmental NGO Malta Rangers Unit (MRU) said that Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri bailed on their scheduled meeting on the sister island, cancelling just an hour before it was scheduled and never proposing a subsequent date.
The organisation had an appointment with Camilleri on 25th March after requesting one on 31st January to discuss “environmental illegalities” on the island.
“His Private Secretary unfortunately sent an email just over an hour before the meeting was about to take place and cancelled the meeting,” MRU said.
A spokesperson for the NGO told Lovin Malta that the organisation was already in Gozo when the meeting was cancelled “just an hour before the scheduled time”.
“We came from Malta so we had to start the commute at least two hours before the meeting. We received the email informing us of the cancellation an hour beforehand. We didn’t even receive a call. It was a very short notice cancellation.”
In this email, sent by Camilleri’s Private Secretary, the Ministry assured that it would be getting in touch with the NGO to schedule another appointment date.
The organisation responded swiftly that very day, reminding the Ministry that the meeting would be in the Minister’s best interest, especially since it would touch upon environmental illegalities on the island. However, the NGO is yet to receive a proposition for a new date.
After this correspondence, the NGO was left in total limbo, not even receiving “a mere acknowledgement” to their slew of emails which were seen by Lovin Malta, but cannot be publicised as per the organisation’s policy.
“After the meeting was cancelled, we have been left in the dark,” MRU told the newsroom.
“And yes, bi-daily reminders will be sent until we get the new appointment. MRU sees this appointment as urgent due to 1) the lack of environmental enforcement in Gozo due to the absence of an Environmental Protection Unit and 2) The Rangers’ safety being at risk due to the rampant environmental crimes and the impunity among offenders in Gozo,” they continued.
On the same day that the Minister cancelled the meeting with the members of the NGO who travelled to sister island all the way from Malta, Camilleri visited the newly modernised centre for NGOs in Gozo, taking to social media to cheer on this recent undertaking by the Government.
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