Figures tabled in parliament recently made for sad reading. In the last five years, there were 59 magisterial inquiries related to deaths or serious injuries on construction sites, nearly two-thirds of which are still pending.
Sadly, the other statistic – that showing 12 workplace deaths this year – has since been revised upwards after the Corradino tragedy earlier this month which left a 20-year-old dead.
It took 14 hours to pull JeanPaul Sofia’s body from the rubble of a collapsed building under construction – an eternity for his relatives. It is now important that the facts of the case do not take another eternity to be dug up from the same debris.
JeanPaul’s mother, Isabelle Bonnici, devastated by grief, has courageously spoken out about her mission to see those responsible face justice and for a public inquiry to be held so as to avoid a similar tragedy.
So far, the police have not charged anyone with the crime, and she is in the dark about the ongoing magisterial inquiry. Surely, basic courtesy and compassion demand that the family be kept informed about proceedings.
What we know so far is that the building had been approved for three storeys first and five later, via two successive development notification orders.
This specific regulation was tweaked by the Labour administration in December 2020, when the South Malta Local Plan was amended to allow higher buildings in industrial zones.
The architect responsible for the Corradino building is a full-time employee with Infrastructure Malta, raising questions about a potentially blatant conflict of interest whereby state-salaried individuals are allowed to do private work.
The land, which is government property, was leased by INDIS, a government company responsible for state-owned industrial parks, to an alleged human trafficker via a joint venture.
Soon after the tragic incident, Prime Minister Robert Abela said it was no longer acceptable for anybody to buy machinery and become a builder overnight. Yet, the publication of the register of contractors has been in the offing since 2019.
The original register was deemed illegal by the Planning Ombudsman after the Building Regulation Office handed over its administration to the Malta Developers’ Association, in an agreement where industry operators could “voluntarily submit their details”.
Meanwhile, the MDA has come under attack from resident associations and civil society groups for the widespread illegalities in the sector.
Another death this year was that of a Turkish worker, on the site of a tower being developed by MDA president Michael Stivala. Alarmingly, however, the MDA has been insistent on further deregulation, pushing not only for higher building heights but also for “less bureaucracy”.
Unable to even verify the credentials of contractors working next door – let alone receive help from the authorities – many citizens are right to feel unsafe.
Similarly, the review of the building laws in 2019, after three houses collapsed in a single summer, led to more bureaucracy for citizens and, tragically, to more accidents and deaths.
The two architects convicted for Miriam Pace’s death have not had their warrant revoked; one of them is still filing applications on behalf of his clients.
It is unsure, then, what the MDA means by “less bureaucracy”. Tragedies such as Corradino cannot be passed off as simple accidents. They form part of a well-oiled system of greed at speed, which involves complacent authorities looking on if not actively participating.
“Greed,” JeanPaul’s mother said, “has ruined our lives.” Abela should start seeking advice on construction from the families of this industry’s victims.