Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545300
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 JUNE 2026 NEWS PA orders removal of illegal wooden structure at Bugibba foreshore THE Planning Authority has ordered the immediate remov- al of a structure erected on the foreshore at Buġibba after be- ing alerted to its presence. In a statement, the author- ity said enforcement officers investigated the report and contacted the individual re- sponsible for the structure. The individual informed of- ficers that clearances had been obtained from other entities in connection with a jet ski oper- ation. However, the Planning Au- thority said the individual was formally instructed to cease the activity with immediate ef- fect and remove the structure without delay. The authority warned that if the structure is not removed, it will issue an enforcement notice in line with applicable legislation. "The Planning Authority re- mains committed to uphold- ing planning law and ensuring that all development and ac- tivities are carried out in full compliance with established procedures and permission requirements," the statement said. No further details were pro- vided about the nature of the structure or the entities that had allegedly granted clear- ances for the jet ski operation. St Paul's Bay mayor Cen- su Galea also confirmed the structure's presence on the bay in a Facebook post, con- firming in the comments sec- tion the council had taken the necessary steps. "This wooden room has ap- parently been placed there without any permits. In any case no permits were issued by the council. Those who blame the council are doing a great disservice to the locality," he said. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt The illegal structure at Bugibba No ethics breach found after Chris Bonett shared government-funded video on personal page THE Commissioner for Stand- ards in Public Life concluded that Chris Bonett did not breach ethical standards by sharing a government-funded video on his personal Facebook page. The investigation was triggered by a complaint from Arnold Cassola, who alleged that pub- lic funds were misused to pro- duce material for the minister's personal social media account rather than being disseminated through official channels. The complaint centered on a 41-second video produced by the Ministry for Transport to announce 400 new daily public transport trips. The standard czar's report de- tails that the production of the video cost €2,000 and was fi- nanced through public funds. While the video appeared on Bonett's personal Facebook page on April 17, 2025, it was not up- loaded to the official ministry page until April 21. The standard czar heard that Bonett's minis- try had distributed the video to media outlets on the morning of April 17. In his considerations, Com- missioner Joseph Azzopardi noted that the video's content was purely informative and did not feature Bonett himself or any partisan messaging, which would have violated established guidelines. Although the video appeared exclusively on the minister's per- sonal page for several days due to broadcasting delays by tele- vision stations over the Easter period, the commissioner ruled that these delays were beyond the minister's control. The commissioner recom- mended that official content should be uploaded to ministry pages before being shared on personal accounts. MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt Momentum leader Arnold Cassola (left) said Transport Minister Chris Bonett (right) breached ethics when publishing a promotion video (inset) on just his personal Facebook page (Photos: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)