Moviment Graffitti and Friends of the Earth Malta are today taking direct action to deliver a clear message: Johann Buttigieg must be immediately removed as CEO of the Planning Authority and barred from holding any other public office. It is unacceptable that Buttigieg, against whom clear evidence of corruption and murky ties with powerful developers and business interests has emerged, remains at the helm of an authority so crucial to our country.

Activists carried out the action during a conference entitled “The Citizen, the Environment and Development” — yet no citizens, environmental organisations or even the Environment Minister were invited. Instead, in a farcical parody of reality, Buttigieg himself was allowed to lead a discussion on citizens’ rights in development.

The irony does not end there. This sham conference on citizens’ rights and supposedly making the environment a priority was held at db Group’s new hotel in St Julian’s — a monument to greed on public land that has become synonymous with environmental destruction, developer arrogance and the trampling of citizens’ rights. To this day, db Group continues constructing an illegal lido along the St Julian’s coastline with complete impunity.

Activists took direct action to make clear that Buttigieg has no legitimacy to speak on behalf of citizens or the environment, much less to continue leading the Planning Authority. His loyalties clearly lie not with citizens, but with powerful business interests and criminals.

The rot within our institutions has reached alarming levels. Not only has the Government failed to remove Buttigieg despite the incriminating evidence against him, but he is being allowed to present himself as a champion of integrity in planning.

Today’s action was only the first step. On Saturday, 26 September at 10am, Moviment Graffitti, Friends of the Earth Malta, and several other organisations, will hold a press conference demanding Buttigieg’s immediate removal as Planning Authority CEO and calling for decency and integrity in planning.

If the Planning Authority is not cleansed of the rot that has taken hold of it, the fight will continue — and intensify.

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Azzjoni diretta kontra l-koruzzjoni fl-ippjanar: Johann Buttigieg għandu jitneħħa minnufih minn kull kariga pubblika

Il-Moviment Graffitti u l-Friends of the Earth Malta llum qegħdin iwettqu azzjoni diretta sabiex iwasslu messaġġ ċar: Johann Buttigieg għandu jitneħħa minnufih mill-kariga li jokkupa bħala CEO tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u jkun ipprojbit milli jokkupa kwalunke kariga pubblika oħra. Huwa inaċċettabbli li individwi bħal Johann Buttigieg, li dwaru ħarġu provi ċari ta’ korruzzjoni u rabtiet maħmuġa ma’ żviluppaturi u negozjanti b’saħħithom, jitħallew jibqgħu fit-tmun ta’ awtorità kruċjali għall-pajjiżna bħalma hija l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. 

L-attivisti wettqu l-azzjoni waqt konferenza li kienet iġġib l-isem “Iċ-Ċittadin, l-Ambjent u l-Iżvilupp” — iżda li, ironikament, għaliha ma kienu mistiedna ebda ċittadini, ebda għaqda ambjentali, u saħansitra lanqas il-Ministru għall-Ambjent. Minflok, f’din il-konferenza li tinħass parodija farseska tar-realtà, kien il-korrott Johann Buttigieg innifsu li tħalla jmexxi d-diskussjoni dwar id-drittijiet taċ-ċittadini fl-iżvilupp. 

L-ironija, iżda, ma tiqafx hawn. Din il-“konferenza-farsa” dwar id-drittijiet taċ-ċittadini fl-iżvilupp u dwar kif l-ambjent għandu jkun prijorità seħħet fil-lukanda l-ġdida tad-db Group f’San Ġiljan — il-monument għar-regħba fuq art pubblika, li sar simbolu sinonimu mal-qerda ambjentali, mal-arroganza tal-iżviluppaturi, u mal-ikkalpestar tad-drittijiet taċ-ċittadini. Sal-lum il-ġurnata, id-db Group għadu għaddej iwettaq l-illegalitajiet b’impunità assoluta bil-bini ta’ lido illegali fuq il-kosta ta’ San Ġiljan.

L-attivisti wettqu azzjoni diretta waqt din il-konferenza biex ifakkru li Johann Buttigieg m’għandu l-ebda leġittimità li jitkellem f’isem iċ-ċittadini jew l-ambjent, u wisq inqas, li jibqa’ jmexxi l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Huwa ċar li l-lealtà tal-korrott Johann Buttigieg mhijiex lejn iċ-ċittadini, iżda lejn in-negozjanti b’saħħithom u lejn il-kriminali. Huma saħqu li l-ħmieġ li ħakem l-istituzzjonijiet tagħna laħaq livelli surreali u allarmanti: il-Gvern mhux biss ma ħa ebda azzjoni biex ineħħi lil Buttigieg fid-dawl tal-evidenza inkriminanti kontrih, iżda Buttigieg qed jitħalla jippreżenta ruħu daqslikieku xi paladin tal-integrità fl-ippjanar.

L-azzjoni tal-lum kienet biss l-ewwel pass. Nhar is-Sibt 26 ta’ Settembru fl-10AM, flimkien ma’ bosta għaqdiet oħrajn, il-Moviment Graffitti u l-Friends of the Earth se jindirizzaw konferenza stampa biex jeżiġu li Johann Buttigieg jitneħħa minnufih minn CEO tal-PA u jsejjħu għad-diċenza u l-integrità fl-ippjanar.

Jekk l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar mhijiex se titnaddaf mill-ħmieġ li ħakimha, il-ġlieda se tkompli, u se tiħrax.