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).
Today, we are reiterating our urgent demand that Johann Buttigieg be sacked from the PA and permanently prohibited from occupying any public office or consultancy.
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. We know that Johann Buttigieg was reappointed as PA CEO in 2025 as the developers’ choice, in preparation for the planning bills presented later that year that would have dismantled citizens’ rights and replaced them with a developers’ wishlist. 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.
While heading the PA, Johann Buttigieg stated “we can do business whenever you want” (“meta trid nagħmlu negozju”) in reply to Yorgen Fenech’s statement, “I’ll steal something off him. We’ll divide it between you and me, and do business together” (“Nisraqlu xi ħaġa irrid. Naqsmuhom jien u int u nagħmlu negozju”). This alone is sufficient grounds for his immediate resignation. However, the institutional rot evidenced by the chats goes far beyond this matter.
Johann Buttigieg was discussing official work and decisions of the PA with Yorgen Fenech in a context completely outside the institution’s work and procedures — through chats between “friends” and at events hosted by the developer. Repeatedly, Johann Buttigieg stated that he would accommodate Fenech’s requests on the basis of this illegitimate proximity.
The chats are replete with statements by Johann Buttigieg, such as: “Let’s do this project” (“mela ejja ħa nagħmluh”; “Let me help you, so that I reciprocate for all that you have done for me” (ejja ħa ngħinek ta’ kemm għamilt miegħi”); “I’ll partner with you wherever you want” (“jien miegħek nidħol fejn trid”); “Let’s talk wherever you want; just give me the word, and I’ll come” (“meta trid nitkellmu, għajjatli u niġi”); “I would cross that bridge when you need it”.
The whole context shows Johann Buttigieg siding with Yorgen Fenech and powerful developers, against residents and organisations. Yorgen Fenech even refers to “dawk il-lib* NGOs” when chatting with Johann Buttigieg.
Of particular significance is their conversation about the Halland 10-storey project in Swieqi, where Yorgen Fenech shares plans with Johann Buttigieg and discusses dealings just before they were due to meet. The Tumas Group project was eventually approved by the PA and had its permit revoked by the Court after residents appealed, as it was found to breach planning policies.
This is pure and simple corrupt behaviour and should have no place in any self-respecting institution. And it is just the tip of the iceberg. The chats make clear that the most significant conversations were held in person and are therefore not visible. 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.
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. 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. A few days earlier, Johann Buttigieg had told Yorgen Fenech that he would be staying at the PA (“jien hemm se nibqa’”).
Johann Buttigieg also stated that he is not the one taking decisions on planning applications. This is simply ridiculous. The PA CEO is a decision-making position that determines how applications are processed and evaluated. Johann Buttigieg also sits on the Executive Council, which approves planning control applications, while he is also responsible for decisions on enforcement.
The dirt and corruption are undeniable and necessitate immediate Government action, including:
- Remove Johann Buttigieg from public office
- A public and independent investigation into all communications between Johann Buttigieg and developers.
- 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.
Communities around Malta and Gozo are bearing the brunt of the deep rot in our planning system. If the Government is not even prepared to establish a modicum of basic integrity, we are convinced that people will rise up and fight against this rule of the corrupt.
We are waiting, and we are ready to take action.
The organisations participating in this Press Conference are:
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
Wirt Għawdex
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Korrotti Barra – Integrità fl-Ippjanar
Kważi ma jitwemminx li, ġimagħtejn sħaħ wara li ġew żvelati l-konverżazzjonijiet inkriminanti bejn Johann Buttigieg u Yorgen Fenech, dan tal-ewwel għadu jmexxi l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA).
Illum qed nerġgħu ntennu t-talba urġenti tagħna biex Johann Buttigieg jitneħħa mill-PA u jiġi pprojbit b’mod permanenti milli jokkupa kwalunkwe kariga pubblika jew konsulenza.
Fl-aħħar ġimgħat rajna biss tliet entitajiet jiddefendu l-pożizzjoni ta’ Johann Buttigieg: il-Ministru Jonathan Attard, il-Malta Developers’ Association (MDA), u Johann Buttigieg innifsu.
L-unika ħaġa sorprendenti dwar id-difiża tal-MDA hija li ma ġietx aktar kmieni. Nafu li Johann Buttigieg reġa’ nħatar Kap Eżekuttiv tal-PA fl-2025 bħala l-għażla tal-iżviluppaturi, bi tħejjija għall-abbozzi ta’ liġijiet dwar l-ippjanar ippreżentati aktar tard dik is-sena, li kienu se jżarmaw id-drittijiet taċ-ċittadini u jibdluhom f’lista ta’ xewqat tal-iżviluppaturi. Taħt Johann Buttigieg, rajna ripetutament lill-PA tieħu mingħajr mistħija n-naħa ta’ żviluppaturi b’saħħithom, kontra ċ-ċittadini komuni, b’konsegwenzi devastanti għall-ambjent tagħna.
Id-difiża tal-Ministru Attard kienet sempliċement patetika: huwa ġġustifika l-fatt li Buttigieg kellu kumpanija privata involuta fl-ippjanar, u ddikjara wkoll li n-negozju msemmi fil-konverżazzjoni ma’ Yorgen Fenech fil-fatt ma seħħx.
Waqt li kien qed imexxi l-PA, Johann Buttigieg qal “meta trid nagħmlu negozju” bi tweġiba għad-dikjarazzjoni ta’ Yorgen Fenech: “Nisraqlu xi ħaġa rrid. Naqsmuhom jien u int u nagħmlu negozju”.
Dan waħdu huwa biżżejjed biex għar-riżenja immedjata tiegħu. Madankollu, it-taħsir istituzzjonali li joħroġ mill-konverżazzjonijiet imur ferm lil hinn minn din il-kwistjoni.
Johann Buttigieg kien qed jiddiskuti xogħol uffiċjali u deċiżjonijiet tal-PA ma’ Yorgen Fenech f’kuntest kompletament barra mill-ħidma u l-proċeduri tal-istituzzjoni — permezz ta’ konverżazzjonijiet bejn “ħbieb” u waqt avvenimenti organizzati mill-iżviluppatur. Għal darba wara oħra, Johann Buttigieg indika li kien se jakkomoda t-talbiet ta’ Fenech fuq il-bażi ta’ din il-qrubija illeġittima.
Il-konveżsazzjonijiet huma mimlijin b’dikjarazzjonijiet ta’ Johann Buttigieg, fosthom: “mela ejja ħa nagħmluh [il-proġett]”; “ejja ħa ngħinek ta’ kemm għamilt miegħi”; “jien miegħek nidħol fejn trid”; “meta trid nitkellmu, għajjatli u niġi”; “I would cross that bridge when you need it”.
Il-kuntest kollu juri lil Johann Buttigieg jakkomoda lil Yorgen Fenech u żviluppaturi b’saħħithom, a skapitu tar-residenti u l-organizzazzjonijiet. Yorgen Fenech saħansitra jirreferi għal “dawk il-lib* NGOs” waqt li kien qed jiċċettja ma’ Johann Buttigieg.
Ta’ importanza partikolari hija l-konverżazzjoni tagħhom dwar il-proġett ta’ 10 sulari tal-Halland fis-Swieqi, fejn Yorgen Fenech juri l-pjanti lil Johann Buttigieg u jiddiskutu ftehim ta’ negozju ftit qabel ma kellhom jiltaqgħu. Il-proġett tat-Tumas Group eventwalment ġie approvat mill-PA, iżda l-permess ġie revokat mill-Qorti wara appell mir-residenti, wara li nstab li kien jikser il-politiki tal-ippjanar.
Dan mhuwiex għajr aġir korrott u m’għandu jkollu l-ebda post f’istituzzjoni li tirrispetta lilha nnifisha. U dan huwa biss il-ponta tal-iceberg. Il-konverżazzjonijiet jagħmluha ċara li l-aktar diskussjonijiet sinifikanti saru wiċċ imb wiċċ u għalhekk mhumiex viżibbli. Dawn huma wkoll biss il-konverżazzjonijiet li ħarġu fil-beraħ permezz tal-investigazzjoni dwar l-assassinju ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia. Meta wieħed iqis l-attitudni ta’ Johann Buttigieg f’dawn il-konverżazzjonijiet, jidher li hemm ħafna aktar konversazzjonijiet bejnu u bejn żviluppaturi b’saħħithom li qatt ma ġew żvelati.
Waqt l-azzjoni diretta tal-Ħamis, waqt konferenza-farsa, Buttigieg qal li dak iż-żmien kien fadallu biss tliet ġimgħat biex jispiċċa mill-PA. Din hija gidba sfaċċata. Kuntrarjament għal dak li qal, il-konverżazzjoni dwar in-negozju ma’ Yorgen Fenech saret f’Marzu tal-2019, ħafna xhur qabel ma ntemm il-kuntratt tiegħu mal-PA, f’Ottubru. Ftit jiem qabel, Johann Buttigieg kien qal lil Yorgen Fenech li kien se jibqa’ fil-PA (“jien hemm se nibqa’”).
Johann Buttigieg qal ukoll li mhux hu li jieħu d-deċiżjonijiet dwar l-applikazzjonijiet għall-ippjanar. Dan huwa sempliċement redikolu. Il-kariga ta’ Kap Eżekuttiv tal-PA hija kariga b’responsabbiltajiet deċiżjonali li tiddetermina kif jiġu proċessati u evalwati l-applikazzjonijiet. Johann Buttigieg jifforma wkoll parti mill-Kunsill Eżekuttiv, li japprova l-applikazzjonijiet għall-kontroll tal-iżvilupp, filwaqt li huwa responsabbli wkoll mid-deċiżjonijiet dwar l-infurzar.
Il-ħmieġ u l-korruzzjoni huma innegabbli u jeħtieġu azzjoni immedjata mill-Gvern, fosthom:
- Jitneħħa Johann Buttigieg mill-kariga pubblika li jokkupa.
- Issir investigazzjoni pubblika u indipendenti dwar il-komunikazzjonijiet kollha bejn Johann Buttigieg u l-iżviluppaturi.
- Tiġi introdotta leġiżlazzjoni li tirrikjedi li l-komunikazzjonijiet kollha minn uffiċjali tal-PA, u uffiċjali ta’ awtoritajiet pubbliċi oħra, isiru esklussivament permezz ta’ mezzi uffiċjali, u li dawn il-komunikazzjonijiet ikunu aċċessibbli għall-membri tal-pubbliku meta jintalbu. Reġistru ta’ trasparenza għandu jkopri wkoll il-laqgħat kollha bejn uffiċjali pubbliċi u partijiet interessati.
Komunitajiet madwar Malta u Għawdex qed iġorru l-piż tat-taħsir profond fis-sistema tal-ippjanar tagħna. Jekk il-Gvern lanqas biss lest jistabbilixxi imqar farka ta’ integrità bażika, aħna konvinti li n-nies se jqumu u jiġġieldu kontra din il-ħakma tal-korrotti.
Qed nistennew, u lesti nieħdu azzjoni.
L-organizzazzjonijiet li qed jipparteċipaw f’din il-Konferenza Stampa huma:
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
Wirt Għawdex
