PM defends Corradino collapse reappointment: 'He's doing job he's paid for'

Robert Abela has defended the Lands Authority reappointment of a man accused of involuntary homicide, saying he had been suspended with pay but is now "carrying out the duties he is paid to do".

The prime minister was reacting to the controversial decision to reinstate Kurt Buhagiar, a developer employed by the Lands Authority as a driver. He is among five accused of the involuntary homicide of Jean Paul Sofia, 20, who died in a construction site collapse at the Corradino Industrial Estate in December 2022. 

The victim's mother, Isabella Bonnici, has criticised the move, while former minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi has distanced himself from the decision, which was made during his tenure. 

Asked about the reappointment on Monday, Abela said Buhagiar had been suspended with pay, meaning he had been receiving his salary while not going to work. 

“He is now going to work and carrying out the duties he is paid to do,” Abela said, adding that the decision was made by the authority’s executive board.  

The prime minister insisted the developer was innocent until proven guilty.  “The courts did not recommend that Buhagiar be dismissed. When the court delivers a verdict, we will respect it.” 

Asked what he would say to Sofia’s mother Isabelle Bonnici, Abela insisted that despite the fact that the first moments of their relationship were not easy, they now had an “immensely cordial relationship”.

“This doesn’t mean we agree on everything, but thanks to the constructive dialogue that took place between us, we have made big strides in reforming the construction sector,” he said, while citing reforms that preceded Sofia’s death, such as the setting up of the Building and Construction Agency and a 24/7 helpline for those impacted by the construction industry.  

A photograph of Jean Paul Sofia at a vigil calling for a public inquiry into his death. Photo: Times of Malta

Abela initially resisted Bonnici's calls for a public inquiry into her son's death and was widely criticised for walking past her when she turned up outside parliament as part of her campaign. 

Following mounting criticism, he eventually announced an inquiry and apologised for not showing solidarity with the young man's relatives before. 

The inquiry found the State responsible for oversight failures at the collapse site, which it said was essentially unregulated. 

'An administrative decision' - minister

Owen Bonnici, the minister responsible for the Lands Authority, said that Buhagiar had already returned to work when the authority was added to his portfolio at the end of May.  

“This is a purely administrative decision. The authority weighed up all the facts to decide whether someone should remain suspended from their work or return to work and provide the service they are paid to do,  according to the collective agreement, ” Bonnici said, repeating Abela’s insistence that Buhagiar was innocent until proven guilty.  

Bonnici said he was informed that Buhagiar worked as a driver.

PN slams reinstatement decision

The Nationalist Party slammed the reinstatement decision, saying it confirmed how the Labour government has learnt nothing from the tragic death of Jean Paul Sofia.

"What has happened in recent days is yet another confirmation that the Labour government neither believes in the Sofia Inquiry nor upholds the rule of law – and it shows complete disregard for the victim’s family.  

It insisted that:

• Kurt Buhagiar must be immediately suspended from the Lands Authority until the court case is concluded;
• The Government must publish the criteria and procedures that led to this so-called “administrative” decision;
• Prime Minister Robert Abela must explain how he intends to ensure that all the recommendations of the Sofia Inquiry are implemented without further delay;
• It said that there must be political accountability from those who took or defended this scandalous decision;
• "Robert Abela now faces a clear choice once again: either he stands with the family of Jean Paul Sofia and the Maltese people, or he stands against them," the PN said.