Former judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, Auditor General Charles Deguara and architect Mario Cassar delivered a damning indictment of the construction industry when they investigated the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

After they heard all the witnesses and reviewed the evidence against their terms of reference, here are some of their most scathing remarks from their 484-page report report. 

A mother’s determination 

“The public inquiry is the fruit of the inexhaustible and continuous determination of Jean Paul Sofia’s parents, especially his mother Isabelle Bonnici who, from the very start of her son’s tragic death, refused to accept it was a fait accompli.”

The State's comedy of errors

"The picture that emerged... is a classic comedy of errors (with all due respect to William Shakespeare!!)…. Jean Paul Sofia died on a site that was not controlled by any regulatory authority. Somebody must assume responsibility for these big mistakes. This must be the State, which failed to keep a close eye on messes at executive level, where everyone worked on their own steam without reporting to anyone.”

A slap in the face of good governance

“The scene of the building collapsing was aired in real time on social media… That scene ought to remain etched in our country’s collective memory. It remains a scene of dishonor and shame, a slap in the face to good governance.” 

Anything goes mentality

“Whoever thinks that this tragedy ought to be reduced to a one-off incident is strongly mistaken. Whoever thinks that, should have a good look around… In a democratic country like ours, impunity and the anything-goes-mentality should not be allowed or tolerated.”

A country's lost soul

“The board says that this inquiry is another opportunity for this country to search for its lost soul, clean its dirty laundry, cast aside the bad, and fix things in the interest of all the people of this country.”

OHSA is in an ivory tower

“The board believes that the OHSA ought to step out of the ivory tower it built for itself and stop perceiving accidents as numbers but as tragedies through which families are broken.”

Businessmen get what they want

“It is not to be considered rare that some businessmen often perceive laws and regulations as obstacles to get what they want. But when this finds support from the public administration there are problems, serious problems."

Can’t hide behind paperwork

“Every worker or director in a public entity needs to understand it’s not an anything goes to accommodate a person, whoever that may be. Mistaken are those who believe that, because they are administering the common good [as was the public land] they can hide behind anonymity or papers to avoid consequences of their shortcomings.”

Superficial inspection 

“The board is not convinced that a robust, efficient and transparent procedure was followed  - in line with good practice and good governance  - when determining if AllPlus Limited deserved being given the site. In fact, with all due respect, the superficial way in which the inspection was carried out to take that decision raised more questions than it answered.”

State should not allow loopholes

“A state that believes in the rule of law should not allow loopholes in its law, particularly in such a sensitive sector as the construction industry. The void brings about uncertainty, and when there is uncertainty it is less difficult for those who have an interest to cut corners and avoid obligations and it makes enforcement harder. Everything is linked to each other. If there was a case when legal uncertainty… surfaced, it is this case in particular when it comes to who is responsible to supervise free standing structures.”

Safety regulations remain on paper

“If the general principles of prevention… that are already found in regulations, are practiced by being integrated into the safety procedures in the sector  - as opposed to remaining on paper – then work accidents and fatalities… would decrease drastically.” 

Stamping out conflicts of interest

“This country needs to find a solution to conflicts of interest… The time has come to ensure that whoever accepts to sit on a public entity board is subject to a code of ethics that leads to serious consequences if breached.”

A ‘sick’ sector

“This important sector for our country has been allowed to remain sick for many years… The board believes that it is in the best interest of the country that all efforts should be made to heal it - if need be with a good dose of serious measures that bring order where there is disorder, and whoever carries legal responsibility ought to carry it without reservations - or be removed.”