It is impossible to believe Planning Authority chairman Johann Buttigieg when he says he has no conflicts of interest in the matter of hotelier Adrian Buttigieg

On 17 April 2013, a month after the general election, I wrote a brief few lines about Johann Buttigieg, who was then being touted as the new CEO for the now-dismantled Malta Environment and Planning Authority. The comments beneath the post are interesting.

Buttigieg is now executive chairman of the Planning Authority, part of the ruins of the MEPA which, as its CEO, he helped Muscat’s government to dismantle.

Yesterday, The Sunday Times reported that Buttigieg is now denying that he has a conflict of interest in his role because of his links to a hotelier called Adrian Buttigieg (not related to him).

Adrian Buttigieg and Johann Buttigieg are known to be very close, and Johann Buttigieg’s wife, Lorraine, is a shareholder in company of which Adrian Buttigieg is the sole director.

I have received the following letter from an informed reader, in reaction to Johann Buttigieg’s declarations of a clean conscience, yesterday.

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The Planning Authority’s executive chairman Johann Buttigieg is said to “downplay” links he and his wife Lorraine Buttigieg have with hotelier Adrian Buttigieg and with the company they own together, MMB Ltd. I am given to understand that MMB Ltd owns and operates The Arches restaurant in Mellieha.

In 2014 Johann Buttigieg was questioned by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority board about potential conflicts of interest and business links. He denied all conflicts and the board took him at his word – but it was noted that Mrs Buttigieg is a shareholder in MMB Ltd, along with Adrian Buttigieg and others.

Adrian Buttigieg is also a partner in the marine aquarium in Qawra, together with Saviour Ellul. It has been reported that the two of them are interested in land reclamation projects.

The application for planning permission for that aquarium (PA 01452/11) was made in in 2011-12. And the case officer, as the screen-shot below shows clearly, was none other than Johann Buttigieg. At that time, he was just another MEPA case officer and completely below the radar, undetected by the media and his MEPA superiors.

Yesterday he told The Sunday Times that “upon assuming public duties within the authority, I have always declared any conflict of interest and, hence, forthwith refrained from involving myself in any decision of whatever nature involving Adrian Buttigieg or any entities within which he has any interest.”

What does he by “since assuming public duties” within the Authority and “hence, forthwith”? Even as a case officer, he should not have had conflicts of interest.