The charade at the Planning Authority last Thursday clearly reveals that its chairman, unfortunately, has the wrong priorities.
The session stopped for 40 minutes, ten police officers were called in, together with four Rapid Intervention Unit cars.
Why, to arrest some terrorist? No. To take away a young lad who had addressed one of the PA members as Victor Axiaq and not as Prof. Victor Axiaq.
It is sad that Perit Cassar gives so much importance to such banalities and is totally oblivious to the elephant in the room.
The Planning Authority has become the tool in Joseph Muscat's hand to accommodate the business lobby.
In opposition, the sly Joseph allied himself with the development lobby led by Sandro Chetcuti, put the Labour HQ fourth floor at the disposal of Sandro and co. (as testified by Anglu Farrugia) and planned out the distribution of Maltese land to these various money hungry developers.
On being elected, the plan was put into action: Sandro Chetcuti was put on the Prime Minister's payroll to advise on what the developers wanted; Robert Musumeci was likewise put on Joseph's payroll to change laws and create loopholes so that the developers could get what they wanted. And then Johan Buttigieg, the PA CEO, would see to it that these plans were given the right push.
What Muscat is doing is verging on the criminal. He is changing the face of Malta permanently. He had vowed to make Malta the Dubai or Singapore of the Mediterranean ... and he is implementing his vow.
The only snag is that he is not playing around with his property... he is messing around with yours and mine and Maltese future generations' property when he dishes out land and public buildings in Bormla and Zonqor to Sadeen, in Pembroke to Silvio Debono, in Manoel Island to MIDI, in White Rocks to Tony Zahra, in Gozo and St Luke's to Vitals and Steward, and so on and so forth.
In thirty years' time, Joseph Muscat's daughters will be cursing me and my generation for not having done enough to prevent their father from changing the face of our country and killing many of our particular physical characteristics that make Malta a distinctive country.
We now know the pattern at Planning Authority. There will normally be three votes in favour of residents and common sense (Victor Axiaq, Desiree Cassar and the local council representative). Of course, there are cases where the local council is so politically blinded that they will cut their nose to spite their face, as in the case of Marsaxlokk and Ta' Kalanka.
Occasionally, other reasonable members of the Authority (Timothy Gambin, Vincent Cassar) might vote in favour of good sense. The rest of the members, alas, are there to rubber stamp previously taken decisions.
As for the political parties, the voting patterns are very clear: Clayton Bartolo obeys his political master's wishes. Marthese Portelli, instead, after having railed against the Paceville plans pre-election time, votes wholeheartedly in favour of Villa Rosa project in St. George's Bay and of the 31 storey Mercury House project in Paceville.
On the other hand, she votes against Ta' Kalanka in Delimara. Which means that the first two have given some donation to the PN, whilst Ta' Kalanka only donates to Labour.
Getting back to police intervention at the Planning Authority. I suggest that Perit Vincent Cassar directs them elsewhere in the Planning Authority. His CEO Johan Buttigieg has been caught with his pants down.
In 2014, Buttigieg went to London for three days in the company of Adrian Buttigieg, a business associate of La Salita Hotel, and a certain Mr Attard of Bank of Valletta. The three went to watch Chelsea play football.
What is the problem, you might ask? Well, the hotel booking was made on behalf of Johan and Mr Attard by La Salita . At that same time, a La Salita extension project was being assessed by the Planning Authority and the BOV was examining a request for a loan by La Salita, loan eventually granted.
Resignation stuff in a normal country. But this is Malta, hux.
Maybe Perit Vincent Cassar should call in the 10 police and 4 police cars on this case? But this being Malta, maybe better not the police or FIAU.
Time for FBI again?
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