Moviment Graffitti said Thursday it is disgusted by the decision of the Prime Minister Robert Abela to change the Local Plan to accommodate the project of Anton Camilleri, Tal-Franċiż, at Villa Rosa.

According to media reports, which the Prime Minister did not deny, the Government has just given instructions to the Planning Authority to change the Local Plan so that Tal-Franċiż would be able to build three towers, of between 27 and 34 floors each, bury St George's bay and the historic Villa Rosa building, and swallow the only open space left between St Julian's and Pembroke.

"A savage project of this dimension, that will be built near another monster, that of db, will leave a devastating impact on the environment and quality of life in an already congested area," Graffitti said.  "The residents of three localities - St Julian's, Pembroke and Swieqi - will experience directly the horrid consequences of this insatiable greed." 

This piece of news continues to show the coup d'état of developers on our institutions, Graffitti said. "Having the Government change the rules of the game to enhance the wealth of Anton Camilleri is another example of how the common good has been thrown out of the window in order to increase the wealth of developers. In the case of Villa Rosa, the Government has already donated a public alley for the ridiculous sum of 133,800 euro to the developer so that he would be able to build this atrocity," Graffitti said. 

The excuse of the Prime Minister Robert Abela that we need this type of project to attract wealthy tourists is simply ridiculous. If the tourism of the wealthy calls for such monstrosities, this means that the tourism of the wealthy is even less sustainable than other forms of tourism.

The news of the changes in the Local Plan in order to accommodate Tal-Franċiż came within a context of other alarming news. A few weeks ago, the Planning Authority approved a project of Joseph Portelli in Sannat just after being declared illegal by the courts. Currently, there are a number of other applications for projects that had their permit cancelled by the court, such as the illegal pools of Joseph Portelli on ODZ in Qala. The Government has reached the point of making a mockery of the courts to accommodate developers. 

At the same time, the reform promised 17 months ago regarding the appeals law - a law currently allowing developers to continue building even without a definitive permit - has not yet materialised.

The rule of law and the basic rights of the people are collapsing and in their stead we are seeing the rise of the rule of developers, the NGO added.

"We would also like to express our disgust at the shameful role of the Nationalist Opposition in all this. The deafening silence of the Opposition in the face of this horrific situation proves how the Nationalist Party is in the pocket of developers as much as the Government," Graffitti said.  

The attendance of the leader of the Nationalist Party at the opening of the "db monster - which is being built on land stolen from the people and which will make life hell for thousands of residents - is symbolic of the immense power that developers have on the Maltese political class," the NGO added. 

We are in the middle of an environmental emergency and a serious threat to democracy. In front of all this, it is only the people who can rebel against the fast destruction of our country by greed and corruption, it concluded.

In similar vein, independent candidate Arnold Cassola also criticised the government and opposition for their stand.

"That the Labour party is hell bent on destroying the quality of life of the Maltese is a proven fact. It has consigned the country to the likes of Silvio Debono, Stivala, Portelli et al, whose only interest is their companies' profits," he said in a statement.

The latest businessman-party donor to be favoured by Abela is Camilleri, Tal-Franċiż, with his Villa Rosa monstrosity,. Abela is favouring him by changing the local plan, Cassola said.

"Tal-Franciz's friendship with Minister Silvio Schembri is certainly reaping benefits," he added.

"We all now know Labour well. Money before residents. But the greatest disappointment is Bernard Grech. First he celebrates the DB ITS project, and now he keeps mum on Labour's Villa Rosa machinations. Bernard Grech is the biggest let down for honest and hard working Maltese citizens. With friends (PN leader) like this, who needs enemies?"

The Nationalist Party issued a statement later criticising the government for proposing changes to the Local Plans without consulting either the Opposition or Local Councils, residents, and stakeholders and saying that the Government "must consult and be transparent about the changes it is proposing."

Civil society group Il-Kollettiv, in a separate statement, condemned the Government's move to amend the Local Plans in St Julians to accommodate the construction of Anton Camilleri's Villa Rosa project, "and calls for an investigation into former Lands Minister Silvio Schembri's dealings with at least two MDA council members."

In a statement, Il-Kollettiv secretary Wayne Flask accused Schembri of abusing his position as Lands Minister to sell off land to Anton Camilleri in St Julians, and Paul Attard (GAP, T&S Properties) in Mellieha, "for a pittance on the original price. Both developers are members of the MDA's executive council."

In response, the Economy ministry issued a statement, saying that Economy Minister Silvio Schembri "categorially denies the unfounded and misleading accusations made by il-Kollettiv."

"The administration of the Lands Authority is administered independently by the Board of Directors, which also includes representation from the Opposition, through a Nationalist Party Member of Parliament. The minister himself is not involved at any moment in the operational decisions. The facts can be clearly verified, and therefore, any other insinuation is baseless," the ministry said.