Scientist Awarded Over €560,000 In Court Battle Against Indis Over Stalled Luqa Project

A Maltese scientist has won more than €560,000 in court after successfully suing Indis for unpaid fees linked to a long-stalled regeneration project on a former landfill site in Ħal Luqa, as reported by Times of Malta.

Robert Cortis took legal action against the government agency after it refused to settle invoices for studies and works he carried out as part of the proposed development.

Indis argued that private consortia involved in the tender should have covered the costs upfront and later sought reimbursement once the project moved forward.

However, the court found that arrangement was no longer practical given that the project has been effectively frozen for years.

During proceedings, Indis CEO Jean Pierre Attard explained that the development had stalled due to unresolved ownership issues, including land occupied by third parties. He also noted that a company operating on the site had objected to the project and that the environmental permit had since expired.

Judge Audrey Demicoli ruled that Cortis could not be expected to wait indefinitely for payment while the future of the project remained uncertain.

The court rejected arguments that only the private consortia were responsible for the debt, finding that Indis ultimately remained liable because it had benefited from the reports and services provided by Cortis and never disputed that the work had been properly carried out.

Cortis was awarded €533,000 for the unpaid fees. In a separate judgment, he was also awarded a further €31,093 for additional works connected to the same project.

The combined awards amount to more than €564,000.

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Credit: Planning Authority

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Riana Xerri

Riana is an American-Gozitan content creator and nurse. When she's not working, she's jetting off to see her favourite artists live in concert, capturing the magic of each experience.

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