PR 09/26 | Kamra tal-Periti calls on PA Executive Chairman to address conflict of interest
The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti has been closely monitoring the media reports affecting the Planning Authority’s Executive Chairman, Mr Johann Buttigieg, and the public debate that ensued.
In keeping with its long-standing modus operandi of being cautious and judicious when making public statements, over the past weeks the Council undertook a thorough examination of the publicly available facts as they emerged and sought direct clarifications from Government officials where necessary to be able to reach its own independent conclusions without undue haste.
The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti is particularly concerned by the revelation that Mr Buttigieg is a director of a company set up to provide consultancy services relating to planning and architecture while concurrently occupying the post of Executive Chairman of the Planning Authority.
While welcoming Minister Jonathan Attard’s statement that Mr Buttigieg did indeed declare this company to the Government as well as his ongoing contractual obligations with the Water Services Corporation related to GIS data-inputting – an activity that has no bearing whatsoever on the Planning Authority – prior to his appointment, as well as Minister Attard’s assurances that said company currently has no other clients, the Kamra tal-Periti nevertheless submits that these assurances do not fully resolve the public perception of conflict of interest arising from Mr Buttigieg’s ongoing involvement in this company while concurrently occupying his public role.
In view of the above, the Kamra calls on Mr Buttigieg to resolve this perceived conflict of interest by choosing which of the two positions he wishes to retain as soon as possible.
The Kamra further calls on the Government to ensure that there are no other similar situations that have not been disclosed to the public, particularly in relation to regulators of the construction and real estate industries which have been afflicted for far too long with a negative public perception and general resentment.
