Arnold Cassola said he swiftly repaired a manhole in Sweiqi after a 15-year-old girl fell into it and he realised he was jointly responsible for its upkeep. 

The MEP candidate said he took action after reading about the incident on Times of Malta.

Last month, the teenager fell into the manhole on Sweiqi Road, which neighbours said had only been covered by a flimsy piece of wood for the last three months. 

Authorities said the road was the responsiblity of the owners of the block of flats.

Cassola, who owns an apartment in the block but has not lived in it for years, said he took immediate action, co-ordinating with another owner to address the hazard.

“I immediately phoned another owner to ask if anyone was seriously injured and asked him to take immediate action to prevent other accidents,” he said.

The owners measured the manhole and temporarily covered it with wooden planks. By the next day, a new manhole cover was delivered and installed.

Cassola expressed relief that no one was seriously hurt, stating, “I’m lucky no one got seriously hurt. It would have stayed on my conscience for God knows how long.”

Repaired manhole in Swieqi Photo:Swieqi Residents Facebook Page

Cassola, who stood unsuccessfully in the recent European Parliament elections, runs a Facebook page called Arnold's Citizen Watch, where he highlights issues such as unkempt roads and maintenance problems. 

A witness said she had tried to report the issue to the local council but was told it wasn't their responsibility.

Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat clarified the council's stance but said he would like such repairs to be under their remit. 

“I want it to be under our remit, but I need the money to do so,” he said.

“We want responsibility; we want to work and take control of the locality."