Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545412
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 JUNE 2026 NEWS EVA BRANNON ebrannon@mediatoday.com.mt Illegal Armier villa being dismantled after public outrage, daily fines THE illegal villa being built in Ar- mier appears to be coming down following mounting pressure from political parties, local councils and online outrage. On Tuesday morning, contrac- tors employed by the contrave- nor were on-site dismantling the structure after numerous reports by the Malta Ranger Unit and subsequent enforcement notices issued by the Planning Authority (PA), which had previously failed to translate into action. The PA had also confirmed that daily fines started accumulating as early as January. In response to questions sent by MaltaToday, the Planning Au- thority had confirmed that the man behind the illegal villa, Frank- lin Mangion, had not applied to sanction the illegal development. Despite this, works had contin- ued at an even faster pace after the election. What began as a few concrete blocks placed on the site days before the election had, in less than two weeks, developed in- to what appeared to be a villa. The PA came under further pressure from the Nationalist Party, Momentum, and Mell- ieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef, who called on the authority to enforce its notice and urgently intervene over the ongoing illegal works at Armier. The illegal development was car- ried out by Franklin Mangion of Żurrieq, a minority shareholder in Solitaire Property Ltd, a property development company currently in dissolution. Mangion is also the sole shareholder of Admin Servic- es Ltd, a Mellieħa-based company that provides condominium ad- ministration services. 'This did not happen because the system works,' Malta Ranger Unit says The Malta Rangers Unit said the case is a prime example of how enforcement action can take an unpredictable turn once public attention intensifies, noting that real change was driven by public pressure, civil society and the me- dia, rather than by an effective en- forcement system. "This did not happen because the system works," it said. "It hap- pened because civil society high- lighted the case with the help of media houses, followed by the general public doing its part by sharing the news." The MRU explained that the widespread online discussion sur- rounding institutional shortcom- ings eventually led to demands for proper action to be taken by those in charge. "Our work to give people the tools to understand how they can create change when they unite is paying off, and it is a great motiva- tor for our rangers to keep fight- ing," the NGO said. "Let this be one of many going forward." Planning Minister says PA is following legal enforcement pro- cedures Planning Minister Jonathan At- tard said the situation in Armi- er is being handled through the Planning Authority's established legal procedures, which provide a structured framework for en- forcement measures, timelines and safeguards to ensure due pro- cess. "The Planning Authority con- tinues to actively monitor devel- opments and will take any further action it considers necessary in line with its legal obligations," he said, concluding that it is the au- thority's responsibility to assess the facts of each case and deter- mine the appropriate course of action. Photos: James Bianchi/MaltaToday