MEPA chief denies San Blas reports, claims personal attack

MEPA chief executive Johann Buttigieg has denied any involvement in allegedly unsanctioned development at San Blas in Gozo, saying he was unaware of the case flagged by the Malta Independent on Sunday.

Buttigieg’s statement was a reaction to a Malta Independent report claiming that the CEO was this week seen at the bay with a Gozitan entrepreneur overseeing works on a cleared site in San Blas, allegedly not covered by a permit.

Contacted by MaltaToday, Buttigieg said the allegation was unfounded and that the last time he set foot at San Blas "was eight years ago".

“On Tuesday morning I was at a Holy Communion mass at my son’s school and afterwards we had a small reception. After that I went back to the office and immersed myself in meetings,” Buttigieg said, adding that he considered the “inaccurate report as a personal attack”.

He also said that he was unaware of any development at San Blas bay. Enforcement officers will be on site tomorrow, Monday morning investigating the alleged illegality.

Buttigieg denied any connections with the Gozitan entrepreneur, Joseph Portelli. According to the Malta Independent, Portelli owns a company with Adrian Buttigieg, who in turn was reported to have business connections with Buttigieg’s wife.

“The companies mentioned by the Malta Independent were closed down three years ago,” Buttigieg said, adding that he and his wife got rid of any business interests due to his appointment at MEPA.

Contacted earlier at 1pm, MEPA chairman Vince Cassar would not confirm with this newspaper whether the allegations merited an investigation.

"The MEPA board will discuss the case," Cassar said, but he refused to confirm whether the Malta Independent report should mean that the CEO's alleged involvement is investigated. “I have seen the article and it came as news to me,” Cassar said. “I have as yet no official opinion on the matter.”

“This is a new case,” he said. “The MEPA board members still need to discuss the issue.”

The Malta Independent has claimed that Buttigieg was seen at the site of the allegedly illegal development.

The patch of land at San Blas Bay has been cleared of all vegetation, a metal gate and a canopy structure built and rubble walls even torn down, ostensibly for the construction of a kiosk.

No planning application for the development on the sensitive site, which enjoys Level 2 protetcion, has been lodged with MEPA, the newspaper said.

It also said that Gozitan entrepreneur Joseph Portelli, who runs the Downtown Hotel in Victoria, was seen on site giving instructions to workers. The newspaper claims that Portelli and Buttigieg were seen together on the site on Tuesday last week.

The newspaper said that Portelli is in business with Adrian Buttigieg in Menfi Ltd; Adrian Buttigieg in turn has business partnerships with Johann Buttigieg's wife in Ta Pinu Developments Ltd, Zebbiegh Developments Ltd and M.M.B. Ltd.

Giving his reaction to Malta Today, Nationalist represenative on the MEPA board, Ryan Callus, said that he expects the issue to be "top of the agenda" when the Authroity next holds its board meeting on Thursday, adding that he expected a full report to be carried out with regard to the possible illegality of the construction. Asked for his reaction on Buttigieg's possible involvement, Callus said that "it will not be prudent" to comment at this early stage.