BREAKING: Prime Minister Criticises Planning Authority For Flying In Board Member On Private Jet
Left: Prime Minister Joseph Muscat with db owner Silvio Debono and his wife, Right: A photomontage of the proposed project
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has criticised the Planning Authority after it was revealed it had jetted in one of its board members on a private jet to vote in favour of the db Group’s high-rise project in Pembroke.
“The PA took this decision without informing the government,” a spokesperson for Muscat told Lovin Malta. “The government disagrees with the line of action.”
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg, who is politically responsible for the PA, said that he has requested details about the incident from the PA and that the government will act once it has these details in hand.
“I confirm what the Prime Minister said. The government, which therefore includes myself and parliamentary secretary [Chris] Agius, weren’t informed about the PA’s decision and we disagree with its line of action.”
Newsbook revealed this evening that PA board member Jacqueline Gili, who was appointed to the board by the Finance Ministry, was flown in from a family holiday in Sicily by private jet to attend the meeting. The news website’s sources estimated this manoeuvre to have cost as much as €15,000.
Gili remained silent throughout the meeting and eventually voted along with nine other members in favour of the project, outvoting the four critics.
“The Authority made arrangements to ensure that all members are present for this board sitting,” a PA spokesperson confirmed. “In view that Gili was abroad on a vacation, instead of requesting her to cancel her vacation and reimburse her family’s holiday, the Planning Authority made the necessary arrangements for her to be present and then continue with her vacation with the family.”
It is very rare for all PA board members to be present for a vote and Gili herself was absent for 29 out of 75 votes last year.
The PA has not yet answered Lovin Malta questions regarding who took this decision, how much it cost and whether this course of action was ever taken before.
READ NEXT: This Has Gone Too Far. Heads Must Roll At The Planning Authority Over This Private Jet Obscenity
