Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1523374
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 JUNE 2024 NEWS KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt Activists spray-paint Joseph Portelli's illegal Qala swimming pools MOVIMENT Graffitti activists yesterday forced their way in- to a construction site in Qala, where swimming pools were built illegally on ODZ land. The activists spray-painted the pools that are still under construction with the words 'Illegali' (Illegal) and demand- ed government action against impunity. The development belongs to Gozitan construction magnate Joseph Portelli. The activists temporarily oc- cupied the site to draw atten- tion to the fact that people like Portelli, and other developers, are systematically being al- lowed by "government, politi- cians and authorities to wreak havoc on our country with ab- solute impunity." The controversy centres around swimming pools con- structed in Qala's ODZ, de- spite the definitive revocation of their permit by the Court of Appeal on 13 March. The activists are demanding that the government keeps its word and enacts the appeals law reform with immediate effect. The current law al- lows developers to commence works and complete them while the appeal in front of the Planning Tribunal (EPRT) or the courts is ongoing. The result of this is that pro- jects that are having their ir- regular PA permits revoked by the courts, would have al- ready been built. The NGO had warned the Prime Minis- ter that if the appeals law was not amended, they would be carrying out direction action. "Since then, the appeals law has remained unchanged, and Portelli's illegal swimming pools are still here, untouched. So, as we had promised, today we started escalating our ac- tions. And we won't stop here. We cannot remain silent and let greed and arrogance choke our country," the activists said. They insisted that communi- ties and organisations are hav- ing to bear the burden of ap- pealing the obscene decisions made by the PA, while having to deal with illegal buildings that no authority takes any ef- fective action against. "We appealed this permit and won the case. But al- though the court revoked the permit, the swimming pools had already been built — all because of our ridiculous ap- peals law. For this reason, this scar on our land — which is completely illegal — is still here to this day," they said. They also noted there were similar cases, such as the "gro- tesque blocks" in Ta' Sannat and Xewkija, a hotel in Mell- ieħa, and a part of this very same development in Qala. "In fact, a good chunk of the monstrous building be- hind us is also illegal because its permit was revoked after we appealed it. But, just like the pools, it had already been built," the activists insisted. "The absurdity of all this is reaching ridiculous levels. Two days ago, the Planning Tribunal rejected the resi- dents' appeal against a mon- strous development in Mistra because, according to the Tri- bunal, the site has now been "committed" for development because of the works done. It is worth noting that it was the very same Tribunal that had allowed the works to continue while the appeal was ongoing!" They said this is not happen- ing by chance, saying govern- ment "is ruled by developers", and is more intent on filling their pockets rather than safe- guarding the common good. Moviment Graffitti says it wants government to change planning appeal law, threatening more direction action if nothing happens The activitists were protesting the construction of swimming pools in Qala's ODZ, despite the definitive revocation of their permit by the Court of Appeal on 13 March