It verges on the incredible that, a full two weeks after the incriminating chats between Johann Buttigieg and Yorgen Fenech were revealed, the former is still heading the Planning Authority (PA), activists said Saturday.
"We are reiterating our urgent demand that Johann Buttigieg be sacked from the PA and permanently prohibited from occupying any public office or consultancy," they said in a protest in front of the PA offices in Floriana.
Over the past weeks, we have witnessed only three bodies defending Johann Buttigieg's position: Government Minister Jonathan Attard, the Malta Developers' Association (MDA), and Johann Buttigieg himself.
The only surprise with the MDA's defence is that it did not come earlier, the activists said. Under Johann Buttigieg, "we have repeatedly seen the PA shamefully side with powerful developers against ordinary citizens, with devastating consequences for our environment."
Minister Attard's defence was simply pathetic: he justified Buttigieg's ownership of a private company involved in planning, and also stated that the business dealings mentioned in the chat with Yorgen Fenech did not actually materialise.
The chats, the activists said are replete with statements by Johann Buttigieg that show him as "siding with Yorgen Fenech and powerful developers, against residents and organisations."
The chats make clear that the most significant conversations were held in person and are therefore not visible, the activists said. These are also only the chats that came to light through the investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Judging from Johann Buttigieg's attitude in these chats, there are potentially many other conversations between him and powerful developers that have never come to light, the protestors said.
During Thursday's direct action at a sham conference, Buttigieg said that, at the time, he only had three weeks left at the PA. This is a barefaced lie, the activists said. Contrary to what he stated, the chat about business dealings with Yorgen Fenech took place in March 2019, many months before the termination of his contract with the PA, in October.
Apart from removing Buttigieg, the activists also called for a public and independent investigation into all communications between Johann Buttigieg and developers; and legislation requiring all communications by PA officials, and officials of other public authorities, to take place exclusively through official channels, with such communications accessible to members of the public upon request.
A transparency register should also cover all meetings between public officials and interested parties, the activists said.
The protest was attended by representatives from BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent, Għawdix, Il-Kollettiv, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta, Ramblers Association Malta and Wirt Għawdex.
