President of the Malta Developers Association Michael Stivala has been given a 48 hour deadline to back up claims he made that local environmental NGOs are being bought off by competing business to picket certain developments.

The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector said it was “unacceptable that individuals within or outside the Voluntary Sector make allegations without being substantiated with facts in hand. The right for free association and freedom of expression are protected by the Constitution of Malta.”

Defending NGOs, the council said that voluntary organisations operate within a legal framework to ensure good practices and transparency in their operation and good management of funds.

“This is ensured also with the relevant reporting and checks by the Commissioner for the Voluntary Organisations and other authorities as required by law. The Council would like to stress that it upholds the utmost respect for all involved in the sector,” it said in a statement. The initial 48 hour deadline was first revealed by MaltaToday.

“Any allegations are to be adequately reported to the relevant authorities with necessary proof, and it is not acceptable that organisations or individuals involved in the voluntary sector are subjected to public shaming.”

The comments come after Lovin Malta reported Stivala’s major allegations. Speaking to Lovin Malta, Stivala did not provide any evidence to his claims – and since then, at least seven NGOs issued a joint statement denying his claims.