Auditor demands that disciplinary measures be taken against MEPA official Johann Buttigieg. Instead, he’s made MEPA CEO.
Strangely enough – and this is a news story in itself – it is the General Workers Union news site, iNews, which reported on this shocker.
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority auditor, in his report about development at Ta’ Habel Bellu – an area between Rabat and Ta’ Qali – demanded that disciplinary action be taken against two of the MEPA’s officials.
One of them is Johann Buttigieg.
But today it was announced that Buttigieg is the MEPA’s new CEO. The parliamentary secretary responsible for planning, the doctor Michael Farrugia, has been shameless in telling Times of Malta that Buttigieg is his personal choice because he trusts him and is his eyes and ears in the authority.
In other words, the government appointed its mole – who has probably been Labour’s mole all along – to the top job, even though the MEPA auditor said that he should be disciplined, which pretty much means being suspended while an investigation takes place, and then, depending on the outcome of the investigation, being fired.
Buttigieg, the General Workers Union news site reported last summer, was “involved in various big development projects” even while he was a MEPA official and a member of the committee which approves and issues permits for, I quote the GWU site, impjanti kbar u għal impjanti tal-enerġija.
In relation to the Ta’ Habel Bellu development, the MEPA auditor said that the permits for that development should have been withdrawn because they were issued on the basis of a false/deceptive report by the MEPA officials in question, one of whom is Johann Buttigieg.
The auditor said that the officials are responsible for gross negligence or incompetence in failing to give the correct information about this development to the MEPA’s Development Control Commission.
The government has meanwhile made the owner of the Ta’ Habel Bellu development its special envoy or roving ambassador to bring business to Malta.
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http://www.inewsmalta.com/dart/20120731-uffi-jal-li-dwaru-ntalbu-pass-dixxiplinarji-involut-fi-pro-etti-kbar
Look at that thing.
Victor Vella had written the report on iNews. What are his views on Buttigieg’s appointment today?
Speechless.
I presume the Minister, like Konrad Mizzi, will forward the appropriate files to the police so an investigation on whether there was a conspiracy or malpractice can take place.
Perhaps Martin Scicluna can write to The Times and ask for Mr. Johann Buttigieg to be called in front of some Parliamentary Committee?
Or maybe he can just join this blog and ask for Mr. Buttigieg’s removal from CEO of MEPA?
Labour are really thick.
An outed mole is no use.
So unless they have another mole, which I guess they don’t else the other mole would be kicking up a fuss, this bloke is now gonna be a billy-no-mates sitting in his ivory tower.
As if Labour needs him anyway. Excellent, a puppet for 60K, and perks.
Kif ma instema xejn kif spicca ic CEO ta’ qabel? Kif ma rajna l’ebda intervista mieghu mill xi gurnalist ta’ kwalunkwe gazzetta?
We were really stupid appointing Laburisti to key positions in the hope they would do the right thing and see the light – what were we thinking? I mean really……
And this chap is on a 60 K€uro salary + perks.
This is a matter that should be taken up in parliament by the Opposition.
Let’s call things by their name. This, is a scandal.
NGO’s to refuse acknowledging this individual. And I have no idea how Vince Cassar can bear it, he’s surrounded.
As for the chamber, I give up. It’s an insult to all architects who persist on quality and cherish designing to constraints.
I can imagine the morale in Floriana, reduced to taking instructions from a crooked manipulator. Last time I heard anything, the ones at the environmental unit were beside themselves. Mostly AD.
MEPA in his hands, will cause the loss of millions in funding for research, restoration and infrastructure. If I were an EU bureacrat, wouldn’t trust any application.
The change promised goes beyond anything we imagined. One thing Muscat has been consistent, never particularly concerned with EU funds.
Daphne, it may be wise that someone starts a campaign for a full-blown and independent inquiry whether there were partisan considerations in delaying the processing of certain applications before 8 March 2013.
The media whipped up moral panic following the approval of certain projects, but believe me, there are much more instances where applicants despaired in silence because their applications seemed to to have hit a brick wall.
Was there a plot to push certain applicants into voting Labour?
Where there applications, handled by case officers who benefited from the change in Government, that miraculously started moving after last March?
Is it true that there were applicants who were told that their application can be processed only after the election?
Is it true that there are MEPA front desk people who prior to last March were helpless and always complained to customers that MEPA is so slow but now these same people (known for their strong and open political leanings) go more than the extra mile to help?
Are there applications that were a non-starter before March but now they are ok?
etc.
Only a full-blown investigation may answer.
Johan Buttigieg had an argument with then CEO Ian Stafrace during which Buttigieg was heard shouting “Issa jien nikkmanda”. Stafrace resigned shortly afterwards.
And now Buttigieg has transformed the CEO’s office into a mini Kazin Laburista, with people being appointed solely on the basis of their allegiance to “Malta taghna lkoll”.