Astrid Vella, Coordinator of Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) has been questioned by the police over an alleged libel following investigations carried out by Ramblers Association, FAA and NatureTrust into the permit granted by MEPA for a house to be built in the Bahrija protected area. The fact that civil society volunteers taking an interest in the way that authorities on the Island operate, are faced with criminal investigations, is to be deplored. This action is nothing more than bullying, meant to intimidate NGOs into silence which is a clear violation of the Aarhus Convention provisions on harassment of environmental activists to which Malta is a signatory.
FAA is very disappointed that in a country claiming democratic values and where free speech is an institutional right, we should come to this over a libel suit. Civil society volunteers should never be criminally investigated by the police for expressing opinions on matters of public interest. There is even less justification in this particular case where the NGOs’ stand has furthermore been vindicated by the MEPA Auditor’s report on the BaħMrija case. MEPA Auditor, Joe Falzon, has told The Times that the last permit issued in relation to the project clearly ran against the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s policy and should have never been given. He also expressed doubts over the previous permits related to the Baħrija development.
This legal action is not reasonably justifiable in a democratic society and reflects poorly on the democratic values of the architect-politician who demanded a police investigation and instituted the case. Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar condemns this waste of Police time and taxpayer’s money.
The FAA committee reiterates that it does do not have anything to hide and whatever has to be said, will be said in Court. FAA will be filing a complaint regarding harassment in breach of international protocol with the Geneva office of the Aarhus Convention.