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The Daily Life of
Kawther Salam
..: Violation of Municipal Laws :.. July
28, 2003
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| Corruption Story No. 2: Violation of Municipal Laws On May 26, 1997, I published my second critical investigation into the Hebron Municipality. The investigation came with big headlines and different subtitles. (See article in Arabic: P1 P2 P3 P4) "When will the city markets will stop accepting the garbage of the occupation's expired meat?" "The city slaughterhouse has been converted to a place that spreads diseases and threatens the health of our citizens." "The city markets are full of illegaly slaughtered meat that is infected with cancer." "Butchers trespass the slaughter checks with the help of the municipality." Dr. Jawad Al Hamouri, a veterinarian: The Municipal Services holds hands with irresponsible people who just care for their private Interests. The vice-mayor of the city: The situation of the Municipal Slaughterhouse is not commensurate with a modern Slaughterhouse." The investigation exposed critical issues related to the violation of the Municipal Laws in Hebron in the sectors of common health and slaughterhouses ,which has affected the health of the citizenships of Hebron, the towns, the villages and the camps around it. Some of the problems exposed were: A: Illegal signatures obtained by municipal employees to grant butchers the permissionto sell sick goats, cows and other meat as healthy meat in the markets in return for money. The municipal stamp was given to unqualified workers. The butchers were slaughtering the animals in the middle of streets in front of the children and everybody. B: The Municipal Slaughterhouse was unhigienic and was being used by the municipality as a place to drain the cities septic tanks. C: The way of transferring the meat from the slaughterhouse to the city and to shops allowed for contamination of the meat. The butchers themselves took the meat without covers or cooling. The animals were never checked by the slaughterhouse. The report exposed the violation of Municipal Laws for Slaughterhouses from the years 1954, 1956, and the Universal Law of Health of the year 1996, and Municipal violations of these laws. This investigation caused a huge reaction against the Municipality, and forced the official organization of PA to open an investigation by the Health Ministry,The Municipalities Ministry, President Arafat's Information Office, and the Provisioning Ministry. But not one of these investigations achieved anything. President Yasser Arafat has always supported the corruption of Eng. Mustafa Al-Natsheh and has never made a decision against him. The past Minister for Municipalities Dr. Saeb Erekat also never made a decision against Arafat's will. |
