Paul Apap Bologna has rejected allegations that he was on the Planning Authority board when the Quad Towers project was approved.

Apap Bologna was replying to previous Lovin Malta article detailing links between Energy Minister Michael Farrugia and Yorgen Fenech. Fenech’s Tumas Group and Gasan Group area behind the Quad Towers project. Apap Bologna is a business partner with Tumas and Gasan in the Electrogas project.

It should be noted that Apap Bologna was on the board when it approved earmarking Mriehel as a high-risee zone.

This is Apap Bologna’s right of reply:

Your article entitled, “Energy Minister’s Links To Yorgen Fenech And His Dodgy Deals Continue To Grow”, is clearly intended to lead your readers to the conclusion that Mr. Paul Apap Bologna abused his position as a board member of the Planning Authority, to secure the approval of the permit of the Quad Towers development in Mriehel, which development is co-owned by the Gasan Group, of which Mr. Apap Bologna’s wife is a shareholder.

Indeed, you state as follows;

“Apap Bologna put his time on the board to good use, voting in favour of approving Mriehel’s controversial Quad Towers development, which is owned by Fenech’s Tumas Group and the Gasan Group, both of whom are part of the Electrogas consortium.”

Please note, in the first place, that, on being appointed as a board member of the Planning Authority, Mr. Paul Apap Bologna had written a letter to the Chairman of the Planning

Authority on the 23rd October 2013, informing him that, owing to a potential conflict of interest, he would be abstaining from all meetings during which applications for

projects by the Tumas and Gasan groups were being deliberated and discussed. A letter, acknowledging receipt of the said letter was sent to Mr Apap Bologna the following day.

Never and at no point throughout his tenure as a board member of the Planning Authority, did Mr Apap Bologna participate at any meetings of the board, during which applications for projects by the Tumas and Gasan groups were placed on the agenda.

More importantly, while Mr Paul Apap Bologna’s appointment on the board of the Planning Authority was terminated on the 31 st March 2016, the said board approved the permit of

the Quad Towers on the 4th August 2016, when Mr Apap Bologna was no longer a board member.

Your article is clearly based on assumptions which are entirely incorrect in Mr Paul Apap Bologna’s regard, and he requests that the correct facts are relayed to your readers.

What do you think of the statement? Comment below