There was nothing to indicate that Transport Minister Ian Borg had ordered Infrastructure Malta to defy a stop and compliance order and proceed with works without a permit in Wied Qirda, the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life said on Monday. 

The commissioner said a complaint had been filed in November by Arnold Cassola against Borg and Infrastructure Malta CEO Frederick Azzopardi.

The complaint against Azzopardi could not be investigated since he is not subject to the Standards in Public Life Act.

The commissioner found that it was true that works in the Żebbuġ valley had taken place without a permit, and that a stop order issued by the Environment and Resources Authority had not been observed straight away.

This was confirmed by the authority itself, the commissioner said, adding that however, there was no indication that Borg had given orders for the works to continue.

The commissioner added that ERA had "intervened promptly and in a professional manner", and later on reached an agreement with IM about a methodology for the works to continue in a way that would avoid damage to the valley environment.

Reacting, former head of Alternattiva Demokratika Cassola said that the commissioner had confirmed Wied Qirda illegalities after he filed his complaint.

In November Times of Malta had reported that IM workers defied a stop and compliance order issued over illegal works which included the uprooting of three protected carob trees. 

In January Cassola asked the police to investigate Azzopardi over the allegedly unauthorised works.