Today, eleven environmental and residents’ organisations sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister concerning corruption in the planning system and calling for Johann Buttigieg to be removed immediately, for an independent investigation to be carried out, and for legislation to be introduced to safeguard transparency and accountability.

Hon. Dr Robert Abela

Prime Minister of Malta

We are writing to you as environmental and residents’ organisations committed to promoting decency and integrity in the planning system, to call for immediate action regarding the Chief Executive Officer of the Planning Authority, Johann Buttigieg.

It should be abundantly clear that a person whose corrupt conduct has been exposed cannot continue to lead an authority of such fundamental importance to our country. The published conversations between Johann Buttigieg and Yorgen Fenech reveal a deeply troubling relationship between a senior public official and a prominent businessman. Together, they discussed and made decisions concerning projects, planning applications and business dealings.

It was already deeply concerning that Johann Buttigieg was reappointed as CEO of the Planning Authority in 2025, after parts of these conversations had already come to light. Now that the rest of the conversations have been published, however, there can be no further denial or dismissal of the seriousness of this conduct.

It has also recently been revealed that Johann Buttigieg owns a private company operating in the planning sector while simultaneously serving as the head of the public authority responsible for planning.

The grave consequences of such conduct are being borne by the Maltese people and the environment in which we live. Rotten planning decisions are destroying our quality of life and threatening the future of our children, while benefiting a small number of individuals with wealth and political influence who operate in ways that are anti-democratic and criminal.

We are therefore calling for basic standards of decency and accountability in the face of this scandal, through the following measures:

1. Johann Buttigieg must be immediately removed as CEO of the Planning Authority and prohibited from holding any public office or consultancy position.

2. A public and independent investigation must be launched into all communications between Johann Buttigieg and developers, as well as other individuals, where these may constitute a conflict of interest with the position he holds. The investigation should be led by an independent authority, such as the Auditor General, and should, where warranted, result in further police investigations into potential criminal offences and prosecutions before the courts.

3. Legislation must be introduced requiring all communications by officials of the Planning Authority, as well as those of other public authorities, to take place exclusively through official channels, with such communications made accessible to members of the public upon request. In addition, a transparency register should be established covering all meetings between public officials and interested parties. Breaches of these requirements should constitute a criminal offence.

Our country and its institutions deserve better than the sordid situation we are witnessing today, in which the toxic links between politicians, public institutions and big business have been laid bare. As was made clear by the 2021 public inquiry, relationships of this nature contributed to the circumstances that led to the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Your failure to take action to do what should have been done long ago — remove Johann Buttigieg from his position — would send a deeply troubling message: that corruption within our country’s institutions is tolerated and normalised.

We do not wish to have to fight for something as fundamental as this, which should be a matter of common sense and basic political decency. However, if you fail to fulfil your duty, you will leave us with no choice but to mobilise the public to demand basic integrity in the planning system, so that our country is no longer held hostage by a criminal in power.

We look forward to the necessary action being taken without further delay and to the opportunity to discuss and work together with people of integrity on the planning reforms that our country so urgently needs.

Yours sincerely,
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Nature Trust Malta
Moviment Graffitti
Ramblers Association Malta
Il-Kollettiv
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għawdix
Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar

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11-il għaqda jsejħu għat-tneħħija immedjata ta’ Johann Buttigieg u għal investigazzjoni indipendenti f’ittra lill-Prim Ministru

Illum, ħdax-il għaqda ambjentali u tar-residenti bagħtu ittra urġenti lill-Prim Ministru dwar il-korruzzjoni fl-ippjanar u l-ħtieġa li Johann Buttigieg jitneħħa minnufih, li ssir investigazzjoni indipendenti, u li jiddaħħlu liġijiet favur it-trasparenza u r-responsabbiltà.

Onor. Dr Robert Abela

Prim Ministru ta’ Malta

Qegħdin niktbulek din l-ittra bħala għaqdiet ambjentali u tar-residenti li naħdmu favur id-diċenza u l-integrità fl-ippjanar, biex nappellaw għal azzjoni immedjata min-naħa tiegħek fir-rigward tal-kap tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, Johann Buttigieg.

Naħsbu li għandu jkun ċar u ovvju biżżejjed li persuna korrotta bil-provi ma tistax tibqa’ tmexxi awtorità daqstant importanti f’pajjiżna. Il-konverżazzjonijiet ippubblikati bejn Johann Buttigieg u Yorgen Fenech jixhdu relazzjoni kriminali bejn uffiċjal f’pożizzjoni pubblika tal-ogħla grad, u negozjant prominenti. Flimkien, kienu jiddiskutu u jiddeċiedu dwar proġetti, applikazzjonijiet tal-ippjanar u ftehimiet ta’ negozju.

Filwaqt li huwa fih innifsu kundannabbli li Johann Buttigieg reġa’ ngħata l-kariga ta’ kap tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fl-2025, wara li kienu diġà ħarġu partijiet minn dawn il-konverżazzjonijiet, issa li ħarġet il-parti l-kbira tagħhom, ħadd ma jista’ jiċħad jew ixejjen iktar din l-imġieba korrotta.

Għadu wkoll kemm ġie żvelat li Johann Buttigieg huwa s-sid ta’ kumpanija privata li taħdem fil-qasam tal-ippjanar, fl-istess waqt li huwa l-kap ta’ awtorità pubblika.

Il-konsegwenzi koroh ta’ din l-imġieba korrotta qed iħossohom il-poplu Malti u l-ambjent li jgħix fih, b’deċiżjonijiet fl-ippjanar li qed ikissru l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna u jheddu l-futur ta’ wliedna, sabiex igawdu minnhom ftit nies b’ħafna flus u influwenza politika li jaħdmu b’mod anti-demokratiku u kriminali.

Qegħdin għalhekk nappellaw għal deċenza bażika quddiem dan l-iskandlu billi:

1. Johann Buttigieg jitneħħa minnufih minn mexxej tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u jkun projbit milli jokkupa kull kariga pubblika jew konsulenza.

2.  Issir investigazzjoni pubblika u indipendenti dwar il-konverżazzjonijiet kollha li kellu Johann Buttigieg ma’ żviluppaturi, u persuni oħra, li jikkostitwixxu kunflitt ta’ interess mal-kariga li jokkupa. Din għandha titmexxa minn uffiċjal indipendenti, bħal pereżempju l-Awditur Ġenerali, u għandha wkoll twassal għal iktar investigazzjonijiet mill-pulizija dwar reati kriminali u prosekuzzjoni fil-qrati, fejn meħtieġ.

3. Tiddaħħal liġi sabiex kull komunikazzjoni minn uffiċjali tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, u kull awtorità pubblika oħra, issir biss permezz tal-mezzi uffiċjali, u li dawn il-komunikazzjonijiet ikunu aċċessibbli fuq talba tal-membri tal-pubbliku. Barra minn hekk, għandu jinħoloq reġistru ta’ trasparenza għal-laqgħat kollha li jsiru mill-uffiċjali mal-partijiet interessati. Ksur ta’ din il-liġi għandu jkun reat kriminali.

Pajjiżna u l-istituzzjonijiet tiegħu ma jixirqilhomx il-ħmieġ li qed naraw bħalissa, fejn ħarġu fid-deher ir-rabtiet tossiċi bejn il-politiċi, l-istituzzjonijiet, u n-negozji l-kbar. Kif anke ħareġ ċar mill-inkjesta pubblika tal-2021, dawn it-tip ta’ rabtiet wasslu għall-qtil tal-ġurnalista Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Nuqqas ta’ azzjoni min-naħa tiegħek biex tagħmel dak li suppost ilu li sar – li jitkeċċa Johann Buttigieg – se jkun qed iwassal messaġġ ikrah ħafna: li l-korruzzjoni fl-istituzzjonijiet ta’ pajjiżna hija aċċettata u normalizzata.

Filwaqt li aħna ma nixtiqux noqogħdu niġġieldu għal xi ħaġa daqstant bażika, ibbażata fuq is-sens komun u d-diċenza politika, jekk se tonqos milli taqdi dmirek, mhu se tagħtina l–ebda għażla oħra ħlief li nimmobilizzaw lill-poplu biex jeżiġi integrità bażika fl-ippjanar, ħalli pajjiżna ma jibqax maħtuf minn kriminal fil-poter.

Nistennew bil-ħerqa li jittieħdu l-azzjonijiet meħtieġa mill-iktar fis possibbli u li nkunu nistgħu niddiskutu u naħdmu flimkien ma’ persuni ta’ integrità dwar ir-riformi fl-ippjanar li pajjiżna tant jeħtieġ.

Tislijiet,
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Nature Trust Malta
Moviment Graffitti
Ramblers Association Malta
Il-Kollettiv
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għawdix
Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar