Planning Authority assessing way forward on PM’s law firm’s contract

The Planning Authority is “assessing the way forward” with respect to the legal services provided to the regulator for the past 20 years by Robert Abela’s law firm.

“The Authority is assessing the way forward and will communicate its decision once it is taken,” a spokesperson said of the hefty workload assigned to Abela Advocates by the PA, a lucrative contract assigned to Robert Abela’s father George Abela when he was a partner with Ian Stafrace, who was later appointed to the PA as chief executive under a  Nationalist administration.

During the campaign Abela had backtracked on his initial declaration to MaltaToday that his wife and the family firm should not be denied the opportunity to bid for government work.

Subsequently Abela said he will aspire for higher ethical standards and insisted his wife Lydia Abela, a partner in the family legal firm, will not be bidding for work in the public sector.

In 2017, Abela Advocates received €110,000 for legal services tendered to the Planning Authority (PA). The law firm received €168,000 in 2016, €110,000 in 2015 and €88,000 in 2014 in retainers from the PA, awarded by direct order.

The firm had its three-year contract with the PA to provide legal services renewed in 2013. It was originally contracted to the PA in 2001, to take over the bulk of legal work when the PA’s own head of legal services Anthony De Gaetano, accused the authority of mishandling a domestic planning matter concerning his property, due to alleged political influence.

The PA paid the firm, then known as Abela, Stafrace & Associates – it included the PA’s future chief executive officer Ian Stafrace – a total of €1.23 million up until 2011 for handling its caseload. The firm was selected through an expression of interest.

The contract was extended into 2013, and then renewed again for the fee of €107,263 annually and €54.99 for each hour of “additional work”.

Abela also earned a total of €32,774 from the Tourism Ministry in exchange for consultancy services. In 2014, Abela also earned €8,371.67, in 2015 he earned €10,057.16 and in 2016 he earned €14,345.39, all in exchange for ‘consultancy services’ to the Tourism Ministry.

MaltaToday is also informed that following the appointment of the new Prime Minister and according to standard procedure, the Authority has been requested by its Ministry to inform all Planning Board and Commission members and the member of its Executive Committee to offer their resignation. This has been communicated to all members.

Despite the resignation the two Planning Commissions chaired by Elisabeth Ellul and Simon Saliba are still meeting to decide on pending permit decisions.