Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/729537
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2016 7 MATTHEW VELLA JOHANN Buttigieg, the Plan- ning Authority's executive chairperson, has denied having acted improperly by not disclos- ing a conf lict of interest to his boss in 2011 when, as a planner, he recommended the approval of a planning application filed by a friend, namely business- man Adrian Buttigieg, one of the owners of the Malta National Aquarium. Reservation forms seen by the Times of Malta show that a stay by Johann Buttigieg at the Royal Garden Hotel in London in 2014, when he was later appointed ME- PA CEO, was booked by Adrian Buttigieg's company. Sources said the pair went to London to watch a football match between Chelsea and Manchester United. Buttigieg has denied that Adri- an Buttigieg's La Salita Holding Ltd hosted that trip, and that his role as a planner in recommend- ing the approval of a permit for the Malta National Aquarium, or when La Salita received a per- mit in 2015 for a hotel extension, were connected. "What the Sunday Times failed to disclose is that at the time of my involvement in the Aquari- um project application, Adrian Buttigieg was not a shareholder and therefore did not stand to benefit directly from the project, as evidenced in public records filed with the MFSA," Buttigieg said, hitting out at the newspa- per's report. The Sunday Times originally reported that Johann Buttigieg did not inform his direct supe- rior of his potential conf lict of interest when, as a case officer in 2011, he was assigned to review the National Aquarium's permit application. According to his boss at the time, Michelle Piccinino, Jo- hann Buttigieg did not disclose that the application involved his friend Adrian Buttigieg, godfa- ther to one of his children and his wife's business partner. Adrian Buttigieg is today a di- rector of the company behind the aquarium – which at the time was being proposed by en- trepreneur Salvu Ellul of Elbros, owners of one of Malta's main fish farms, Malta Fish Farming Ltd. In November 2015, the PA also granted Adrian Buttigieg's Mel- lieha hotel a two-storey exten- sion permit. Malta Fish Farming also re- ceived permits for cages allow- ing it to hold up to four times the permitted number. Buttigieg claims that The Times is misinforming the pub- lic with "unfounded allegations" and that he will institute libel proceedings to defend his repu- tation. News Dwarna with Mariella Dimech every Tuesday at 21.00 on TVM2 asks for changes Sliema building any protection. The Planning Authority had even approved a swimming pool on part of the gardens in 2001. The boutique hotel would house 38 rooms while a num- ber of 2- and 3-bedroom apart- ments are proposed in the rest of the development. There will also be a parking area with 24 garages. Established in 1985 as a neigh- bourhood construction com- pany, the Bilom Group, owned by Michael and Gilbert Bugeja, emerged over the last years as one of the leaders in the real es- tate market. In a sign that the group was expanding, a new subsidiary called Bilom High Rise Limited was set up in June. The company, owned by Mi- chael Bugeja, includes share- holding by Darren Desira, who presented the application for the Mrabat development on be- half of the Bilom Group. The Bilom Group has applied to restore and convert the scheduled building into a boutique hotel and restaurant Planning Authority boss Johann Buttigieg denies conflict over London freebie trip PA executive chairperson threatens Times with libel over reports connecting him with family friend and businessman Adrian Buttigieg Johann Buttigieg allegedly went to London to watch a football match between Chelsea and Manchester United with friend and businessman Adrian Buttigieg