Three individuals have been identified as having close ties to the disastrous project that led to the loss of 20-year-old Jean Paul Sofia’s life.
These individuals are part of the answer to the question: “Lil Min Qed Tipproteġu?”– “Who are you protecting?”– which is more relevant than ever after arecent vote in Parliamentuniting 40 Labour MPsin a decision not to open a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia.
Let’s take a closer look at Kurt Buhagiar, Matthew Joseph Schembri and Adriana Zammit.
More accurately, the answer is likely that they are seeking to protect a governing system which is allowing individuals acting within it to profit from lax, bendable regulations.
The government clearly doesn’t want any further scrutiny over the behaviour of individuals who are closely implicated with this case – as it could pose the risk of that system unravelling.
1. Kurt Buhagiar
The Kordin land upon which Jean Paul Sofia spent his final moments was leased to Kurt Buhagiar.
Buhagiar reportedly worked as a driver, close-aide and right-hand man to CEO of the Lands Authority Robert Vella. Prior to this posting, he was recruited to work with the Water Services Corporation.
According to The Shift, before working in either of this public-sector roles, Buhagiar was arrested and charged for human trafficking in 2009. He spent over a year in an Italian prison from 2011.
Buhagiar, along with Matthew Joseph Schembri, is a 50% shareholder in Allplus Ltd, a construction and furniture manufacturing company set up in 2019.
Together, they were building a timber factory and offices in Kordin, on leased government property, which was allocated to them by the state’s industrial parks regulator, INDIS Malta.
Robert Abela has deniedhaving any business ties to Buhagiar or Schembri.
Still, Buhagiar’s involvement as lease-holder for the Kordin territory, paired with his close connections to the Lands Authority, a past in human-trafficking – and now the sitting government’s insistence that this case should be closed as quickly as possible, raise some serious questions.
2. Matthew Joseph Schembri
Last year, Matthew Joseph Schembri was charged for allegedly ordering an attack on his ex-wife’s father, Louis Spiteri.
The two “hitmen” allegedly contracted by Schembri claimed to have been “enslaved” by the Maltese man – saying they had been forced to worked for him illegally and without payment.
Along with Buhagiar, he is a 50% shareholder in Allplus Ltd, tying him into their joined – and failed – Kordin timber factory venture. He also owns Green Technologies Ltd and Whitefrost Company Ltd – which specialises in air conditioning.
Maybe that’ll help him handle the incoming heat…
3. Adriana Zammit
Zammit is a former Planning Authority case officer, who is now employed full-time at Infrastructure Malta. She also worked at the Environment and Resources Authority.
She is the architect who applied for a Development Notification Order issued by the PA just over a year ago, for the construction project which would eventually collapse on top of Jean Paul Sofia.
Architects working for the government or its agencies are within their rights to take on private projects.
Her role, as an architect, rather than a construction worker or overseer, was not necessarily as direct as either Schembri’s or Buhagiar’s, and she has no known criminal past, yet her professional history is marked by roles in the government agencies.
If any of the listed individuals were proven to have been negligent of their responsibilities or of safety precautions prior to Jean Paul Sofia’s death, they could be considered liable for contributing to the conditions leading to a 20-year-old’s untimely demise.
Furthermore, and probably more importantly from the current government’s perspective, the public would have cause to question how their long-standing roles within government entities was tolerated and encouraged.
Though government may be seeking an end to the Sofia saga, 25,000 petition signatures show that his family, and the publicare not prepared to accept this case being swept under the rug.
Most likely, Robert Abela and his friends don’t specifically care very much about Buhagiar, Schembri and Zammit.
What they do care about is their political survival.
Their ability to remain in government, potentially using their roles to enrich themselves and their friends could be threatened if a legitimately probing independent inquiry unraveled a system built around knowing the right people, pulling the right strings, and possibly, directing the right amounts of cash flow towards the right pockets.
Lil min qed jipproteġu?
They’re protecting themselves, from you.
What do you make of this story?
READ NEXT: 'Providing Wigs To Cancer Patients': President Visits MFFC Oncology Centre
Pawlu is a journalist interested in Race, Environmental Issues, Music, Migration and Skate Culture. Pawlu loves to swim everyday and believes that cars are an inadequate solution to our earthly woes. You can get in touch at [emailprotected]
