The building contractor who employed the worker injured at a construction site on Thursday is the same one who employed another migrant construction worker who was dumped on the side of a road in 2021, Times of Malta can confirm.

The 34-year-old Moroccan worker, who was injured on Thursday morning when bricks fell on him at a construction site in Gżira, was working for J&G Farrugia Contractors. It is the same company that employed Gambian Lamin Jaiteh, who was dumped on the side of the road after falling two storeys from a construction site three years ago.

Back then, Jaiteh claimed his boss dragged him from the back of a van and dumped him on a road, ordering him to tell police he was hit by a car.

Days later, Glen Farrugia, director of J&G Farrugia Contractors was charged with causing Jaiteh grievous bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty, and the case is ongoing.

Jaiteh Lamin fell from a construction site and then was abandoned on the side of the road back in 2021. Credit: Carolina Galea

The company is currently the contractor responsible for building works at a construction site on Triq Belvedere in Gżira, which is being developed into a small hotel.

In reply to questions, the company said Glen Farrugia has no involvement in the Gżira project and its daily operations and full management and oversight of the project are exclusively handled by someone else.

The police confirmed the incident took place at around 9.40am and the victim was taken to hospital in an ambulance.

A woman who was inside a nearby building told Times of Malta the worker let out a “horrifying shriek” when the bricks fell on him. Other witnesses said they saw the man on the street and that he appeared to have been hit by falling objects.

In a reply to questions, the contractor said the incident “was an unfortunate and unforeseen event involving a low wall, constructed by a previous contractor, which collapsed onto a worker below who was securing some formwork at the time”.

“Fortunately, the worker sustained only minor injuries. Following a comprehensive medical examination he was discharged from hospital and was escorted home to rest,” a company spokesperson told Times of Malta.

The company insisted it had all its permits and papers in order, including the BCA, PA and OHSA documents and method statement, and all ongoing works were being conducted strictly in accordance with the project engineer’s instructions.

“We are proud to be among the few local construction companies that employ a dedicated, full-time team of health and safety officers,” it said.

“To reinforce our commitment, an OHSA representative inspected the site immediately following today’s incident and confirmed that everything is in compliance with regulations.”

Times of Malta is informed that the police, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) are investigating the case and the OHSA issued a stop order to cease works for the time being.

This was not the first time the same construction site made headlines for the wrong reasons. Last February its façade and the scaffolding attached to it collapsed and crashed into the street, missing pedestrians by metres.

It is believed that incident was caused by excavations that caused the ground to vibrate, bringing down the entire façade.