Impunity from PA as enforcement order still not issued for minister’s illegal pool

The Planning Authority is still to serve an enforcement order against Minister Ian Borg and his wife after the swimming pool at their residence was declared illegal by the country’s highest court.

While the PA is tiptoeing around issuing an enforcement notice ordering the minister to remove the illegal pool and return the site to its original agricultural use, The Shift is informed that Prime Minister Robert Abela has informally directed the PA to go slow for fear of another political backlash from the popular minister as the Labour Party continues to dip in the polls.

Abela is refusing to take any action against Ian Borg even though the latter was shown to have used his influence to acquire a permit. He proceeded with the development even when it was being challenged in court.

In his one mild reaction, Abela went into the legalisms of the permit the court decided was illicit, stating that Borg “should be treated like any other citizen” while completely skirting the issue of political responsibility.

Oliver Magro, the former OPM consultant that Abela chose as the PA’s CEO, is reportedly resisting recommendations from senior PA officials to issue the enforcement order accompanied by fines.

An enforcement order and a €50 daily fine until the site is restored to its original state should have been issued right after the court sentence.

The PA has not replied to questions sent two weeks ago on what action was taken following the court ruling and to explain why an enforcement order has not yet been issued, the PA has not replied despite several reminders.

Minister Borg refuses to react to the court’s ruling, not even when reminded by The Shift that he had ignored the appeals process and steamrolled ahead with the development.

Robert Abela, himself a PA consultant for many years, also declined to reply to The Shift’s questions.

A fortnight ago, the court, for the second time, declared the PA had acted illegally when it gave Borg a permit to turn an agricultural field in the hamlet of Santa Katerina into a pool and entertainment area.

Even though the local plan does not allow for such developments, the PA and its appeals board issued an illegal permit twice, the court has confirmed. Borg was the minister responsible for the PA at the time.

The pool development came years after another controversial permit involving his house, also built with an irregular permit. The Ombudsman had declared the development permission a “gross mistake” that should be reversed.