Inquiry hears journalist's version

A Super One television journalist told an inquiry yesterday he had learnt of the dumping of human remains at Maghtab from sources who spoke on condition of confidentiality, and he felt he could not reveal their identity.

Glenn Bedingfield said he learnt of hospital dumping practices while working to gather footage and information for a February 12 television programme.

His sources told him human remains were dumped at the landfill in the evenings, usually after 6 p.m., and were then buried by a bulldozer.

Bedingfield testified before a board of inquiry into allegations that human remains were dumped at the Maghtab landfill. The inquiry is being conducted by Judge Victor Caruana Colombo, Professor Maurice Cauchi and Dr Victor Borg Grech.

Bedingfield explained how he had planned a programme on the Maghtab landfill as part of the series Team to be aired on Super One television on February 12.

He had gone to the Maghtab landfill one afternoon at about two to gather footage and information and filmed the dumping of animal carcasses and remains brought in from the abattoir.

Bedingfield said he had expressed surprise but someone had told him that it was hardly that surprising considering that hospital waste was also being dumped at Maghtab.

He said he went ahead with the programme and mentioned the dumping of human remains but never meant to imply actual body parts. But Health Minister Louis Deguara denied the allegations in parliament.

Bedingfield said he had however continued looking into the matter and although he had been to the landfill only once and never saw any human remains personally, he had learnt that some people had actually identified a placenta among the disposal of hospital waste. Human remains were taken to the landfill in the evenings and buried.

Bedingfield said he was shown photographs of yellow bags deposited at the landfill and said he had not noticed the bags when he went there himself.

The inquiry continues.