Bernard Grech has called on Prime Minister Robert Abela to resign along with ministers Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Silvio Schembri and Miriam Dalli following the publication of the Jean Paul Sofia inquiry report.

“How are they still here? Did you find scapegoats to take the blame on your behalf? You are to blame because you allowed this culture of impunity so you should go,” he insisted.

After calling for and observing a minute of silence for the construction site victim, Grech said that had it been done before, the recommendations would have started being implemented before.

He was speaking as Parliament discussed the Sofia inquiry that was tabled on Wednesday. 

Had it not been for the perseverance of Sofia’s mother and father, the inquiry would not have been carried out, he said.

“You gave Malta hope. Thank you,” he told the parents who sat inside the chamber. Grech said the inquiry found that the state was to blame so responsibility had to be shouldered.

While acknowledging Abela’s earlier apologies for lack of sensitivity, Grech said now was not the time for apologising but for shouldering full responsibility.

He pointed out how Abela had previously refused PN's calls for a public inquiry into the death of another construction site victim, Miriam Pace, who was in her home when it collapsed in March 2020.

“Today, the inquiry said that had something been done before, maybe Jean Paul's death could have been avoided. You cannot continue getting away with it,” Grech said.

He said the culture of impunity has been dragging on for years. “The inquiry described it as a comedy of errors but this was a tragedy of errors. Sofia died because of the lack of controls, as if in the Wild West. It also said that even after the incident it was business as usual. This is the value of life for you,” he added.

Robert Abela apologises for lack of sensitivity

Earlier, Abela told Parliament he was determined to ensure the implementation of all the inquiry’s recommendations. Work on some of them had already started.

Prime Minister Robert Abela addressing parliament on Wednesday.

“I will not disappoint in the implementation of the recommendations. What we accepted for the past 50 years is not acceptable any longer. Since 2002 we had 81 victims and these are not numbers. Even one would have been enough to address this shortcoming. It is clear there is a need for a complete reform,” he said.

The inquiry was very clear on what needs to be done, especially in the radical changes needed in enforcement.

Abela announced initiatives for better monitoring of construction sites and to improve standards in the sector. The 50-year-old slack mentality prevailing in the sector needs to be changed, he said, since no one addressed the fact that there was no regulatory body regulating the construction sector.

He pledged that the government will do everything possible to reduce every risk as much as possible and will invest in prevention to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated.

“There will be no place for amateurs,” he insisted.

He said that the government would be setting up a new inter-ministerial sub-committee to implement the inquiry recommendations.

This will be led by the head of the Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister, Glenn Micallef, who will ensure that all 39 recommendations are implemented.

Abela insisted that people would be at the centre of this reform. The government will not have a fragmented sector any longer so there will be a centralised helpline for citizens to file reports and complaints of construction site abuses.

He said that the government will provide free professional help, including lawyers and architects, who will serve as a point of reference and a voice for citizens.

“We need to give more power to the citizens, especially those who are affected by the construction sector,” Abela said, adding that enforcement will be centralised.

He said there will be a special focus on the quality of the inspections carried out, with synergy between inspectors working for different entities so there will be more coordination and synergy.

“We need a change in mentality. People still see safety at the workplace as an added burden. It is useless to provide equipment if we do not show workers how to use it. This is a message to contractors and developers: you cannot have an attitude of cutting corners. This will not be tolerated any longer,” he said.

We have prepared a new occupational health and safety law and this will be in place by the summer.

“This is not the start of the process. Work on many of the recommendations has already started such as the licencing, the skills cards and the safety card,” he said.

He also said he would ask the Environment and Planning ombudsman to extend his role to include the construction sector.

Abela also said that any differentiation made between standalone buildings and other types of buildings will cease to exist.

Abela said the government will order an audit that looks into the processes of Malta Enterprise and INDIS.

“We will keep what is good and change what needs to be changed. It will not change the way we look at genuine investment projects but the allocation of land will be based on meritocracy. Let us up our game. Every time we raised our standard, the common good always prevailed,” he said.

“The message is loud a clear: Anybody with a cowboy attitude will not be allowed to operate. I apologise again for being insensitive in the past. I was not protecting anyone and I regret giving that impression. I will ensure these recommendations are implemented,” he concluded.

Speaking later, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said he had received the resignation of OHSA chair David Xuereb. He highlighted improvements in the sector, including within the authority itself.