Court: Woman’s heirs awarded €8,000 for collapse of building
The heirs of a woman whose house in Valletta collapsed while the next-door building was being pulled down 17 years ago have been awarded €8,000 in compensation. It was a long wait for Mary Buttigieg – who passed away in 2004 – and her children. The incident happened on 15 February, 1995 and a court case against contractor John Polidano, architect Carmel Busuttil and the director of the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department started being heard the following year. Both Mr Polidano and Mr Busuttil have passed away since. Work on the building next door to that owned by Ms Buttigieg (176, St Ursula Street, Valletta) led to the collapse of her house. Almost all the furniture and several items in the house were practically destroyed and the contractor and architect had failed to repair the damages. However, the director of the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department had provided Ms Buttigieg alternative accommodation. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Ellul, upheld the arguments put forward by Anton Camilleri, the director of the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department, who said that the work had been carried out by the contractor and he was solely responsible for any damages caused to third parties.(independent.com.mt) It is really astonishing that a trial lasting more than ten years.
Water from sewage is no longer a pipe dream
The Water Services Corporation has filed planning applications to upgrade its three sewage treatment plants and enable them to reclaim water for irrigation and industrial use. Discussions are still under way with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority but in the meantime the corporation has applied for EU funds to cover the expense of installing new equipment, estimated at about €12 million. The corporation has three new sewage treatment plants – at Iċ-Ċumnija in Mellieħa, at Ta’ Barkat in Xgħajra on the outskirts of Żabbar, and at Ras il-Ħobz in Gozo. They make Malta the first country in the Mediterranean and the seventh in the EU to treat all its sewage. Together the plants produce an estimated 22 million cubic metres of treated sewage per year which is pumped out into the sea. WSC chief executive Marc Muscat said the new equipment would further treat an estimated nine million cubic metres to produce water suitable for industrial and agricultural use, including batching plants. This figure would be derived from all the sewage treated by the plants in Gozo and Mellieħa and a percentage of that produced by the Xgħajra plant, which is seven times larger than Mellieħa’s and 10 times the size of that in Gozo.(timesofmalta.com) The environment is a major concern.
Parents join son in prison for cultivating cannabis
The parents of a 17-year-old Bulgarian boy who yesterday admitted cultivating cannabis and was jailed for 18 months, this morning were jailed for three years after they also admitted cultivating cannabis, and helping their son do the same. Police Inspector Jesmond J. Borg told the court that the parents had cooperated with the police and admitted their crime. They had no previous criminal record. However, he stressed this was a serious crime.(timesofmalta.com) Why a whole house cultivate cannabis?
Source: Yahoo actualités
The heirs of a woman whose house in Valletta collapsed while the next-door building was being pulled down 17 years ago have been awarded €8,000 in compensation. It was a long wait for Mary Buttigieg – who passed away in 2004 – and her children. The incident happened on 15 February, 1995 and a court case against contractor John Polidano, architect Carmel Busuttil and the director of the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department started being heard the following year. Both Mr Polidano and Mr Busuttil have passed away since. Work on the building next door to that owned by Ms Buttigieg (176, St Ursula Street, Valletta) led to the collapse of her house. Almost all the furniture and several items in the house were practically destroyed and the contractor and architect had failed to repair the damages. However, the director of the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department had provided Ms Buttigieg alternative accommodation. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Ellul, upheld the arguments put forward by Anton Camilleri, the director of the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department, who said that the work had been carried out by the contractor and he was solely responsible for any damages caused to third parties.(independent.com.mt) It is really astonishing that a trial lasting more than ten years.
Water from sewage is no longer a pipe dream
The Water Services Corporation has filed planning applications to upgrade its three sewage treatment plants and enable them to reclaim water for irrigation and industrial use. Discussions are still under way with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority but in the meantime the corporation has applied for EU funds to cover the expense of installing new equipment, estimated at about €12 million. The corporation has three new sewage treatment plants – at Iċ-Ċumnija in Mellieħa, at Ta’ Barkat in Xgħajra on the outskirts of Żabbar, and at Ras il-Ħobz in Gozo. They make Malta the first country in the Mediterranean and the seventh in the EU to treat all its sewage. Together the plants produce an estimated 22 million cubic metres of treated sewage per year which is pumped out into the sea. WSC chief executive Marc Muscat said the new equipment would further treat an estimated nine million cubic metres to produce water suitable for industrial and agricultural use, including batching plants. This figure would be derived from all the sewage treated by the plants in Gozo and Mellieħa and a percentage of that produced by the Xgħajra plant, which is seven times larger than Mellieħa’s and 10 times the size of that in Gozo.(timesofmalta.com) The environment is a major concern.
Parents join son in prison for cultivating cannabis
The parents of a 17-year-old Bulgarian boy who yesterday admitted cultivating cannabis and was jailed for 18 months, this morning were jailed for three years after they also admitted cultivating cannabis, and helping their son do the same. Police Inspector Jesmond J. Borg told the court that the parents had cooperated with the police and admitted their crime. They had no previous criminal record. However, he stressed this was a serious crime.(timesofmalta.com) Why a whole house cultivate cannabis?
Source: Yahoo actualités