The Lands Authority will work to become more transparent and efficient, with better consumer services, economy minister Silvio Schembri said on Thursday after m
Two of four men who are facing criminal charges over the Ħamrun house collapse that killed Miriam Pace have objected to their case being decided by a magistrate s court.
The accused are architects Roderick Camilleri, 37 and Anthony Mangion, 73, as well as 37-year old excavation contractor Ludwig Dimech and 42-year old construction worker Nicholas Spiteri.
Dimech and Spiteri informed the court on Tuesday that they were formally objecting to having their case dealt with summarily,(before the magistrates’ court), opting instead to proceed to trial before the Criminal Court.
The decision means that proceedings will now continue before Magistrate Joseph Mifsud in respect of the two architects and it is only when those proceedings have run their course, including at appeal stage, that a bill of indictment may be issued in respect of the other two accused.
Two accused with involuntary manslaughter of Miriam Pace to stand trial
The two men have chosen to immediately stand trial in front of a jury in the Criminal Court
9 February 2021, 4:13pm
by Nicole Meilak
Two men charged with the involuntary manslaughter of Miriam Pace (pictured above) have decided to stand trial in the Criminal Court in front of a jury
Two of the four men charged with the involuntary homicide of Miriam Pace have chosen to immediately stand trial in front of a jury, and in turn will not be judged by the Court of Magistrates.
Ludwig Dimech and Nicholas Spiteri informed the Court that they will be filing an objection as required by law for their case to be decided by a jury in the Criminal Court.
Robert Vella appointed Lands Authority CEO
Robert Vella replaces James Piscopo as Lands Authority head
2 February 2021, 1:16pm
by Karl Azzopardi
Robert Vella has been appointed as the new Lands Authority Chief Executive Officer, the economy ministry has announced.
Vella’s appointment comes after a public call issued at the end of 2020.
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said the Lands Authority will now pave the way for identifying means to ensure its efficiency, diminish unnecessary bureaucratic procedures, and better serve the public.
“Whilst building upon the significant work done over the past years, the appointment of the new Chief Executive Officer also signals the Lands Authority’s new phase of a more consumer-centric approach which will make it easier for the public to access the services of the authority while increasing efficiency,” Schembri said.
A magistrates’ court has declared that it will not allow construction works to continue nor machinery to be removed from the site of a fatal Ħamrun house collapse earlier this year, pending judgment.
“You can repair a truck but you cannot bring back a person’s life,” stated Magistrate Joseph Mifsud, voicing aloud his position on two applications filed by defence lawyers assisting four persons currently accused with the involuntary homicide of Miriam Pace.
They are Roderick Camilleri, 36, from Rabat, the project’s architect; Anthony Mangion, a 72-year-old architect from Gżira who served as the construction project’s site technical officer; 36-year-old excavation contractor Ludwig Dimech from Żebbuġ; and 42-year-old construction worker Nicholas Spiteri, from Mqabba.