MTA official allegedly pressuring restaurant owner to relinquish lease

A Malta Tourism Authority official was allegedly reported to be pressuring one operator to relinquish his right to place tables and chairs on the pavement so that it can be taken up by an operator across the road.

19 December 2010, 12:00am
by Julia Farrugia

1 min read

The MTA official, Anthony Cutajar, is responsible with ensuring that public land is not encroached on by restaurant operators.

Weekly newspaper Illum reports that Cutajar was implicated, for the second time in three months, in a request for a prohibitory injunction on Friday for allegedly having personal interests that go beyond those duties and obligations related to his position. The request was accepted by the court.

Cutajar was also mentioned in two police reports, made in September and earlier this week respectively. Yet, to date, he has not been investigated in connection with these reports, and neither has he been suspended from his position at the MTA, even if the authority is aware of the allegations.

Julia Farrugia is a former editor of Illum newspaper.