Ten organisations from Malta and Gozo, in a joint statement on Wednesday have argued that ”there is only one logical and obvious course of action following the publication of chats between development tycoon Yorgen Fenech and PA boss Johann Buttigieg: Johann Buttigieg should be fired immediately, hauled before the courts on criminal charges relating to corruption and illegitimate influence, and permanently prohibited from occupying any public position.”
The organisations said that ”the chats published show unequivocally that Johann Buttigieg, as head of the PA, was colluding with Yorgen Fenech over which projects and business deals should go ahead and for whose benefit. The chats disparaged NGOs defending the rights of residents and treated Malta as the private backyard of big business interests.”
They went on to say that ”the relationship between Yorgen Fenech and Johann Buttigieg is emblematic of Malta’s planning situation, where decisions are systematically taken in the interests of the greedy few rather than the common good, with devastating consequences for our quality of life and environment.”
The organisations warned that ”it is all the more serious that part of these chats had already been revealed after Johann Buttigieg resigned from the post of PA chief, only to be reinstated by Robert Abela following pressure from Malta’s developers. Now that the full extent of these chats has been published, the obscenity of that decision has become even more stark.”
”Should Robert Abela refuse to fire Johann Buttigieg from his post after such crimes against the Maltese people have been laid bare in black and white, the situation will escalate. We will not accept the complete and official takeover of our institutions by corruption and greed,” stated the organisations.
The concluded by saying ”the clock is ticking. If the necessary, common-sense actions are not taken to remove Johann Buttigieg from his post and replace him with a person of integrity, the people will fight back to defend their country.”
Organisations
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Helwa
Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Front Zghazagh ghall-Ambjent
Ghawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust Malta
Ramblers Association Malta
Wirt Ghawdex.