This morning, the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti (KTP) continued its investigation into the building collapse in Paceville that occurred on Wednesday night.
Escorted by Deputy Director of the Civil Protection Department, Perit Graham Attard, Council members were shown the emergency stabilisation works carried out under his direction in the affected area. The Council then conducted a thorough inspection of the site, including the remains of Tania Flats, to help form a collective professional opinion on the cause of the collapse and determine whether professional negligence by a warrant holder was a contributing factor.
While the investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse is ongoing, the Council noted that there was no evidence of excavation work having been conducted on-site at any point during the project. This was corroborated by the fact that the perit in charge of the project had not sought clearance for excavation works, nor had the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) granted any authorisation for such works. As a result, geological investigations were neither technically required under Eurocodes nor legally mandated.
The Kamra tal-Periti urges all stakeholders to exercise restraint and caution when making public statements about such incidents without first-hand knowledge of the facts.
https://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/IMG-20250616-WA0074.jpg12001600Kamra tal-Peritihttps://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/logo-3-300x159.pngKamra tal-Periti2025-06-16 14:02:402025-06-16 14:02:40PR 07/25 | KTP Council conducts site inspection as part of ongoing investigation into Paceville building collapse
The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti has immediately initiated an investigation upon learning of the collapse of an apartment block in Paceville last night. While the investigation is still ongoing, a clear picture of what happened is beginning to emerge.
At the onset, the Council feels it is opportune to commend the two periti who raised the alarm with the authorities leading to the evacuation of the building. Without their timely action, at least 32 lives could have been lost.
The Council must also commend the public authorities, particularly the BCA, OHSA, Perit Nadia Curmi, and the police, for taking decisive action to avert what could have been a tragedy of proportions not witnessed in living memory.
Nevertheless, the role of a number of periti directly or indirectly involved in the incident is subject of an ongoing disciplinary investigation which will ascertain if there was any professional negligence or misconduct leading to the collapse of the building last night.
This incident, however, reinforces the Kamra tal-Periti’s considered opinion that the building and construction reform, which it was recently entrusted by the Government to lead, must not be solely limited to new buildings, but must also encompass all existing buildings.
This means that a review of the existing building stock and a strategy for retrofitting, maintenance, and repair must form part of the overall exercise that is currently being undertaken. The Kamra will indeed be putting such proposals to the stakeholders being consulted about the draft building and construction regulations.
The Kamra tal-Periti has reviewed media reports and footage of the scaffolding collapse in Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli, which occurred at a construction site managed by Infrastructure Malta (IM).
It is noted with grave concern that neither the Building and Construction Agency (BCA), the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), nor Transport Malta (TM) have taken any action to safeguard the public or workers. Furthermore, none of these entities have issued any official statements regarding this serious incident.
It is pertinent to underscore that IM is merely an agency. Unlike the Planning Authority (PA), BCA, OHSA, or TM, IM does not possess any regulatory powers. Rather, it is an entity tasked by the government with implementing planned infrastructural projects. For all intents and purposes, IM acts as a developer and should therefore be subject to the same scrutiny and enforcement measures as any other developer under the aforementioned regulatory authorities.
If there are any laws, regulations, or policies that could be construed as granting IM exemptions from regulatory oversight, these must be urgently reviewed.
The health and safety of workers on IM’s construction sites, as well as the protection of neighbouring residents, third-parties, and the general public adjacent to or passing by its projects, are no less important than those on any other site and must be afforded equal protection under the law.
https://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/IM_Scaffolding.jpeg450600Kamra tal-Peritihttps://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/logo-3-300x159.pngKamra tal-Periti2025-04-15 16:39:542025-04-15 16:40:35PR 05/25 | KTP demands IM be subject to the same laws and oversight as other developers
The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti, given the national public interest surrounding this case, is hereby publishing its professional conduct decisions on Perit Roderick Camilleri and Perit Anthony Mangion pursuant to investigations that were opened following the collapse of a building in Triq Joseph Abela Scolaro in Ħamrun on 2nd March 2020 which led to the passing of nearby resident, Miriam Pace.
The Council’s findings are summarised below:
Perit Roderick Camilleri was found (i) to be in breach of Directive DIR 01/18, (ii) to be in breach of the Second Provision of the Code of Professional Conduct, (iii) to have failed to uphold professional standards and practices, and has decided to suspend his warrant for a period of twenty-eight months from the date of the publication of the decision in the Government Gazette.
Perit Anthony Mangion was found to have failed to comply with regulations with respect to professional standards and practices, and has decided to suspend his warrant for a period of fourteen months from the date of the publication of the decision in the Government Gazette.
Both decisions are subject to appeal and can only be brought into effect if and when they become res judicata.
https://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/7959aa1ca0ba9a552e523efcf1a4f38dcb240983-1740935992-579cc36d-960x640-1.jpg640960Kamra tal-Peritihttps://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/logo-3-300x159.pngKamra tal-Periti2025-04-04 11:35:482025-04-04 11:51:25PR 04/25 | KTP Council suspends periti involved in the Miriam Pace tragedy
The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti wishes to inform the public that two days ago it opened investigations into the widely-reported incidents that occurred in Sliema and Bulebel constructions sites. This is standard procedure for the Council, which has decided to disclose the opening of these investigations due to the public interest that has arisen around these particular cases.
The purpose of the investigations is to establish whether there were any professional short-comings by warrant holders involved in the projects.
It is pertinent to underscore that the opening of an investigation should not be construed to constitute findings of malpractice.
Earlier today Minister Jonathan Attard formally appointed the Kamra tal-Periti as its lead consultant in the drafting of the National Building and Construction Codes of Malta.
This is a historic milestone for the Kamra, after having campaigning incessantly for the implementation of its A Modern Building and Construction Regulation Framework for Maltafirst published in draft form in 2019, during the rapid succession of building collapses in various towns of Malta.
Through today’s agreement, the public sector and the industry stakeholders will be brought together to work towards a shared objective – that of implementing the recommendations regarding the building and construction codes outlined in the Sofia public inquiry report and adopting European standards and best practices over a period of three years.
The formation of the National Building Council, which brought together the two principal industry stakeholders, KTP and MDA, brought with it a spirit of ambition and determination to turn a page as quickly as possible on the negative perception the industry carries and shoulder responsibility for driving the necessary change forward.
The Kamra is honoured to have earned the trust of the Government and the industry stakeholders in taking the lead on such an important and delicate task. It is committed to living up to the expectations that are being placed on it.
https://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/CLF_3949-copy.jpg14222048Kamra tal-Peritihttps://kamratalperiti.org/wp-content/uploads/logo-3-300x159.pngKamra tal-Periti2025-02-28 17:18:372025-02-28 19:51:09PR 02/25 | A historic achievement for the Kamra and the profession
