A Planning Authority board member has resigned after a Member of Parliament highlighted what could be a possible conflict of interest in a decision taken in the past days, the Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ministry said.

When he received this information, Minister Borg immediately contacted the member, Alfred Pule, who informed the minister about the sale of land in Lija that he was involved in three years ago, in 2016, when he was not a board member.

The two sides agreed that to remove any speculation or doubt, it was better for Pule not to serve on the board any longer, and he has therefore resigned. The ministry said that Pule did not have any direct or indirect interests in decisions that were taken by the board during his tenure.

In the statement, Borg said that there is a need for the Planning Authority to undergo a reform in the months to come.

Pule, who was appointed to the board only one month ago, last week voted in favour of plans to convert a dilapidated room in a field in Qala in a sprawling villa.

The developer, Joseph Portelli, renounced the permit following public outrage.