Prominent businessman Winston J Zahra has once again taken to social media to voice concern about mounting ‘intimidation’ against him after he declared that he will be voting for the Forza Nazzjonali, meaning the Nationalist Party and Democratic Party coalition.

Last week, the Island Hotel Group Holdings CEO surprised many by taking to social media and writing:

“..Four years ago, this island was promised unity and meritocracy. It was promised the abolition of corruption in no uncertain terms. The speeches were eloquent and the marketing was slick. The vision for the country was appealing, and even many who stuck to their PN roots were not totally disappointed with the result.

“It is very sad that today we see an island which is once again divided in a way that it has not been for a very long time. It is tragic that the image of our dear island, and our collective reputation, is being dragged through the mud.”

Following Mr Zahra’s strong words, a story appeared on the media where it said that the businessman only spoke out after a Planning Authority (PA) application had been denied.

The application was made so that Mr Zahra could develop a farm that is no longer in use, as well as a dilapidated building, into a separate residential dwelling within his private property in Bahrija.

On the application, the proposed works were described as “demolition of existing farm building and replacement by one habitable unit and ancillary landscaping works”.

The land is an Outside Development Area. An application was filed back in 2009 under a PN government however due to the rural policy plans of the day it was not permissible by law.

A controversial change in the ODZ rural policy plan by the current PL government, which has been subject to heavy criticism as it severely increased the amount of ODZ permits being granted, specifically allows “the rehabilitation and change of use of architectural historical or vernacular interest.” The change of use thereby allows the transformation such developments into dwellings.

The application to develop a residential dwelling over a farm that is no longer in use and a dilapidated building was eventually declined for a number of reasons. Among the provided reasons was the requirement for the unused farm to have been in that state for over 10 years and that an area of the site, which is garigue land, would have been ‘illegally’ by construction materials.

Rebutting the assertions made in the media reports, Mr Zahra responded by saying:

“Good morning dear Facebook friends. This morning, on this beautiful sunny day, I woke up to a slanderous front page story on the L-Orizzont newspaper.

“The story, complete with a full aerial photo of my family's home, is meant to intimidate me and stop me from speaking my mind and expressing my opinion. It follows on from numerous very nasty private messages I have received in the past days, mostly from fake profiles set up specifically to do this. There have also been other forms of subtle and not so subtle threats that have come my way.

“Is this what happens when you express an opinion in this progressive Island of ours? Do honest hard working people of whatever political opinion agree with this type of behaviour?

“Again I state the absolute facts on which I would be prepared to take an oath at any point in time:

“Is it true that I had an application at MEPA to convert a 1,000 square metre disused dilapidated chicken farm into a 200 square metre habitable residence? Yes it is. This was not some hidden matter.

“Is it true that I wanted to turn an ugly building into something more pleasing that better fits the area? Yes that is also true.

“Is it my right, like any other person, to apply for a permit and go through the normal process? I think it is.

“Did I ever put any pressure on any politician or government official to try and get this permit, or any other one for that matter? Absolutely not. I have always followed due process and any file in my name at MEPA will show this.

“Did I post what I did last week because this MEPA permit was refused? Absolute rubbish! I have known for a very long time that this permit was not going to be approved and it has absolutely nothing to do with what I said last week..”, he wrote on Facebook.

He concluded by saying that he said what he had said because it is what he ‘feel[s]’ and [believe[s]’, and that this form of intimidation will not silence him.