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4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWS QORTI GEORGE Fil-Qorti tal-Maġistrati (Malta) Lil George Degabriele (ID 258880M) ta' 7, Triq Jews Sally Port, il-Belt Valletta Bil-Preżenti, l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, tal-Berġa tal-Baviera l-Belt Valletta, qiegħda għall-finijiet tal-Artikolu 466 tal-Kodiċi tal-Organizzazzjoni u Proċedura Ċivili, tinnotifikak bl-annessa dikjarazzjoni ġuramentata mmarkata bħala Dok. A u tinterpellak biex fi żmien jumejn tħallas is- somma komplessiva ta' disat elef, mija tlieta u sittin ewro u tnejn u tletin ċenteżmu (€9,163.32) bħala arretrati ta' kera dovuta fir-rigward tas- segwenti u kif sotta indikat; - Elfejn, mitejn u ħamsin ewro (€2,250.00) fuq it-tenement 095306 magħruf bħala sit numru ħamsa (5) fi Pjazza Narbona, Tal-Istabar Housing Estate, Ħal Qormi u dan għall-perjodu bejn il-ħdax ta' Mejju elfejn u sittax (11/05/2016) u l-għaxra ta' Novembru elfejn tlieta u għoxrin (10/11/2023). - Sitt elef, disa' mija, tlettex-il ewro u tnejn u tletin ċenteżmu (€6,913.32) fuq it-tenement 075917, Garage 7, Block M, Triq il-Wegħdiet Laqxija, Birkirkara u dan għall-perjodu bejn is-sebgħa ta' Ġunju elfejn u sittax (07/06/2016) u s-sitta ta' Diċembru elfejn tlieta u għoxrin (6/12/2023). Fin-nuqqas ta' ħlas jew ta' oppożizzjoni da parti tiegħek skont l-imsemmi Artikolu 466 l-esponenti tgħaddi għall-ħruġ ta' mandat eżekuttiv kontra tiegħek skont il-liġi. Bl-ispejjeż u bl-imgħaxxijiet legali. Avv. Hendrick N. Magro P. L. Joelene Pace Ciscaldi Mittenti: Auberge De Baviere, Triq San Bastjan, il-Belt Valletta Intimat: 7, Triq Jews Sally Port, il-Belt Valletta Notifika Ulterjuri: 6, Qasam tal-Bini tal-Gvern, Triq it-Tiġrija, il-Marsa Illegal Armier structure still standing after three months Planning Authority does not reply to questions on why demolition of Franklin Mangion's illegal Armier villa was halted AN illegal villa that started being built around election time at Ar- mier remains standing, months after the Planning Authority (PA) issued an enforcement notice. Photos taken by MaltaToday on 25 September show that the villa structure remains practically intact despite demolition works having been started when the il- legality was first flagged last June. MaltaToday sent questions to the PA asking whether the en- forcement notice remains in force, whether Mangion is still paying fines on the structure, whether the authority will be taking further action against him, and why the demolition was halted. The PA did not reply. The illegal development belongs to Franklin Mangion of Żurrieq, a minority shareholder in Solitaire Proper- ty Ltd, a property development company currently in dissolution. Mangion is also the sole share- holder of Admin Services Ltd, a Mellieħa-based company that provides condominium adminis- tration services. The structure's openings were boarded and orange sheeting was still in place when MaltaToday visited the site on 25 September, with concrete block walls, rub- ble and building debris scattered around the plot. Demolition works began on 16 June, but the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) has said this was the on- ly time such works were carried out, with a photo taken on 1 Ju- ly showing the villa in the same condition it was in when the works began. The PA had previously said it was considering further action against Mangion under the De- velopment Planning Act, after he failed to comply with orders to stop works and proceeded with- out authorisation. The site had first been reported to the PA days before the general election on 30 May, when it con- sisted only of pallets and concrete blocks. Within two weeks, the MRU said, the structure had de- veloped into a villa with plastered side walls and a ceiling. At the time, the PA confirmed that daily fines against the devel- opment had begun accumulating. Under the system, fines increase progressively over time and may trigger referral to the authority's direct action team for demolition once a threshold of €50,000 is reached. The authority had also is- sued Enforcement Notice EC/00071/26, requiring the site to be restored to its original state within 16 days. Mellieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef had called on the PA to enforce its own notice, saying works had continued una- bated despite the order. JULIANA ZAMMIT jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt MaltaToday visited the site on 25 September, with concrete block walls, rubble and building debris scattered around the plot (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) Petition calls for EU to scrap import charges on non-EU books BOOKWORMS are urging EU policymakers to rethink customs fees on books before a new €2 charge on low-value parcels takes effect in November. An online petition started by educator Kimberly Portelli is call- ing on the EU to scrap additional charges on books imported from outside the bloc, warning the costs threaten access to education. "For educators, students, and book lovers alike, this spells dis- aster," the petition states, argu- ing that books from beyond the EU offer perspectives unavailable through local resources alone. It also warns the charges risk creating "an environment where economic barriers dictate educa- tional opportunities", contradict- ing the EU's own commitment to accessible education. The cam- paign comes as a new handling fee of €2 per item is due to apply to low-value parcels imported from outside the EU from November. The €2 fee is set out in a Com- mission Delegated Regulation and establishes the amount under the EU's Union Customs Code. It ap- plies to items valued at or under €150 sold in distance sales to EU customers and covers customs authorities' costs for data verifica- tion, risk analysis and controls. The €2 charge is separate from the €3 temporary duty introduced on 1 July, which applies until July 2028, when standard customs du- ties resume. Unlike the temporary duty, the handling fee is designed to become permanent as a new EU Customs Data Hub becomes fully operational. The hub, a centralised system replacing fragmented national customs databases, is expected to be operational for e-commerce from 1 July 2028. It is projected to save close to €2.3 billion a year in operating costs for member states and €2.58 billion a year in admin- istrative costs for businesses. The new EU Customs Author- ity, established on 20 September and based in Lille, will oversee the reform and supervise the rollout. The petition urges policymak- ers to revise the tariffs "to support the free flow of information and resources", though the regulation currently frames the €2 fee as a general parcel charge rather than one targeting any single category of goods. The petition can be accessed on- line at change.org with the head- ing: Reconsider Additional Charg- es On Non-EU Books. Reporting by Juliana Zammit The campaign comes as a new handling fee of €2 per item is due to apply to low-value parcels imported from outside the EU from November

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