‘Environment representative’ on MEPA board is major building supplies contractor and property developer
The previous government used the system by which environment groups were asked to nominate the names of their desired representative on the MEPA board. The government would then assess the individuals and select the most appropriate from among them.
The current lot of submissions included the name of Alex Vella, president of the Ramblers Association. The prime minister/government chose him. We do not know, so far, who the other nominees were.
Alex Vella was, along with Astrid Vella of FAA, one of the most vociferous critics of the MEPA reform and with Mrs Vella (the two are not related) led the march in pouring rain three years ago against the Renzo Piano/Valletta Regeneration project.
This turned out to be quite hypocritical, because using his personal architect Robert Musumeci, he succeeded in overturning threebuilding development cases of his which were refused by the MEPA.
The full story in The Malta Independent is linked in my previous post.
But there’s more. Alex Vella has a major conflict of interest both in his position as a self-described environmentalist and now, especially, in his new appointment to the board of the MEPA.
Besides being a property developer himself, he owns the major building supplies company Vella Falzon Group, which includes Vella Falzon Building Supplies Ltd and Vella Falzon Bathrooms. They supply developers and building contractors.
Alex Vella retired from the day-to-day management of the business a couple of years ago, but it is now run by his son, Alex Vella Falzon (he shares the same Christian name as his father, and Falzon is his mother’s surname). But that is a mere detail.
This means that here we have the perfect ‘we’ll buy the building supplies/bathroom supplies for this project from your company if you vote/argue in favour of our project’.
I wish to make it clear that I do not say here that Alex Vella is corrupt. I have no such knowledge, and for all I know he might be a man of great principle, though the story about those overturned refusals makes me a little uncomfortable.
But I am making here the very obvious point that he is now fully exposed to corruption and to overtures for his corruption. Those overtures, make no mistake, will be made.
Even if he is the sort of man who will never, but never, give in to that sort of temptation, a man of great correctness, he should not have been placed in that position and – I am going to be brutally factual here – if he were indeed a man of great principle, he would never have accepted to be placed in that position.
He would have known the importance, in a situation like that, of Caesar’s wife being above suspicion.
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He married into the business – u sar nies. His very public chest beating to show how enviromental he is rankles with his business interests, as you rightly point out. You would think the environment NGOs would have half a brain between them and choose someone other than him.
[Daphne – Please read the piece again. They DIDN’T choose him. The government/prime minister did. Each environment NGO sends in the name of its own preferred representative. The government then chooses one from among them. The Ramblers Association president nominated himself. The government chose him – not, say, the nominee chosen by Din L-Art Helwa or whatever.]
ok, thanks, noted – then the Ramblers need to have their heads examined if they have such a person as their Pres.
Is this the same Alex Vella of Santa Maria Estate in Mellieha?
I think so – it appears that the ‘klikka’ has their base there.
It’s like having a hunter chosen for “Animal Rights” board leader
I wish I could say “Well, I never” but I really can’t. The writing was on the wall.
Mr Alex Vella also has a very large garage space close to his house in Dingli Street, Sliema and appears to be using it as a commercial warehouse for his business.
Does he have a change of use permit from MEPA?
Does he have a permit from MEPA?
With several members of the cabinet all drafting their legal wife or partner into their job, this Caeser’s wife thing has now assumed greater and literal significance.
Michelle is featured in half-page photo in The Times today, hauling her shopping up the stairs to the main entrance of Castille, trailed by her two kids.
Completely crass and clueless.
Pretty soon Castille will become yet another ‘Kazin Laburista’.
Hopefully the kitchen staff will not be caught messing around with ice-cubes.
Tal-mishija. SHAME, SHAME. Il-veru nies tad-daqqiet ta’ harta. L-isfortuna hi li ssib min jghidlek, tghid qabel ma kienx hemm ukoll hatriet simili. Il-veru gvern li ma jaxraqx lil Malta wara dak kollu li sar, specjalment mindu sirna membri tal-UE. Gvern li jigi jaqa’ w iqum mid-dicenza u s-serjeta fit-tmexxija pubblika. Gvern li fid-DNA tieghu jistma l-Kostituzzjoni bhal “bicca karta tas-sorr”.
Does he have any connection with Michael Falzon (ex PN Minister mhux L-Iljun tar-Rebha)
Alex Vella’s wife inherited a large share of the former G & S Falzon, which was already in the tiling and bathrooms business decades ago, until Alex took over.
Michael Falzon, on the other hand, comes from another Valletta family which used to deal in sanitary ware and tiles at the same time, and I believe the fathers were brothers.
Do I get this right? Michael Falzon, President of the Developers’ Association has his cousin’s husband and his ex Permanent Secretary (Chairman Cassar) on the MEPA board.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
That explains why he came across as so uncomfortable when he was transferred to the Ministry of Education (from Public Works and Infrastructure) during the Fenech Adami government.
All in the family.
Daphne, The Times of Malta repots: Government in ‘initial contacts’ on executive roles for Opposition MPs
I feel that with this and other decision this country is running into becoming a totalitarian state…do you agree?
The PN should not accept these roles
I think so too – the Government and the Opposition have specific and distinct roles and there should be no blurring of the boundaries.
If this is true I sincerely hope that there are enough people with a sound mind not to accept these roles.
What better way than this to silence the Opposition?
The PN should have postponed the election of the new leader and dedicated all their energy to investigating and evaluating all these decisions being taken by the new Government.
Yes, “gas down” into totalitarian state. And nobody out there to save us?
Now and not later, is the time for us to fight for our hard-earned democracy.
While working I like listening to the radio. Rai-3 is one of my favourites, where there was this interview with the author of a book about Rome’s unbridled urban ‘development’ by private interests.
Like us here building contractors keep building blocks of apartments not because there is a particular need for them but for the income they generate for the owner. Labour is cheap and it is estimated that the sale of one apartment at market value will break even the cost of three apartments.
Even if that estimate is only a rough indicator in the local context (we don’t really know), it is quite clear why all the frenzy among building contractors and the real reason behind Labour’s promise to separate the planning from the environment process at MEPA.
With such appointments being made for the MEPA Board civil society, environmentalists in particular, has a lot to worry about. AD can still voice its views on this, as can the PN.
Then they have the nerve to call the PN government, conservative, right-wing and all kind of derogatory words and phrases while proclaiming themselves progressive and socialist.
What Governments do in jurisdictions I am now working in about board members and Chairmen:
In some countries on the other side of the Atlantic the Government appoints chairmen and directors on boards and these are scrutinised and approved/rejected by a Parliamentary Committee on the merits of their integrity, professionalism, past experience and subject matter expertise.
These directors are usually appointed after a public call and they serve their full term irrespective of any change of government. Board members are not all appointed for same duration but some for four, some for three and some for two to ensure continuity and rotation.
One of the members appointed on the MEPA board is director at MFSP, a financial services company responsible for the loss of millions of Euros on behalf of their clients. The company recently received a restriction on products it can sell from the MFSA. Labour is rewarding incompetence, so much for meritocracy.
[Daphne – http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/04/the-man-holding-the-labour-flag-in-this-photograph-has-just-been-appointed-to-the-mepa-board/ ]
Not only is his son a building material supplier but quite the developer as well.
He and his various partners have different projects but one that falls under his father’s keen interest is the latest they did overlooking a valley.
In this project, he’s partner with Graham Salt of Frank Salt.
Here is the MEPA number: 1169/12