Sacked Planning Authority chief ‘parked’ in Robert Abela’s secretariat

Oliver Magro, the former Executive Chairman of the Planning Authority, has been reinstated on the government’s payroll as a policy adviser to the Office of the Prime Minister under a new contract as a person of trust.

Although Magro had a year remaining on his contract at the Planning Authority, Prime Minister Robert Abela abruptly ended his role. The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) did not provide a reason for this sudden departure.

The OPM did justify the reappointment of controversial former CEO Johann Buttigieg, stating that the decision was made “to enhance efficiency at the Authority,” which implied concerns about Magro’s performance.

Magro was relatively unknown within the Planning Authority until a few years ago. He worked closely with Prime Minister Abela at the permits authority when Abela was the organisation’s legal counsel, earning a retainer of €17,000 per month.

In December 2022, Magro was quickly elevated to the top position at the Planning Authority on Abela’s direct orders after a brief tenure as a liaison officer between the OPM and the Planning Authority.

Industry sources described Magro as “the person to go to” for businessmen seeking expedited permits for large development projects. His rapid rise to the top in 2022 was seen as a strategy by Abela to exert complete control over the Planning Authority.

However, Magro’s brief term was surrounded by controversy, particularly regarding how the Authority’s leadership responded to numerous illegalities committed by rogue contractor Joseph Portelli and his associates.

Earlier this year, after the court revoked permits for several illegal penthouses Portelli had constructed in Sannat, Magro continued entertaining Portelli’s applications to regularise these illegalities. This decision sparked protests from Moviment Graffiti, Din l-Art Ħelwa, and several non-governmental organisations.

Abela’s unexpected choice to remove his friend from the Planning Authority and appoint Johann Buttigieg in his place attracted significant criticism.

Buttigieg, who led the Authority during the initial years of the Labour administration, is known to support Labour’s Muscat faction and facilitated the transformation of Malta into a vast construction site. He has also been implicated in numerous dubious dealings, with ongoing allegations of misconduct while heading the Planning Authority.

Buttigieg previously implemented directives dictated by disgraced former chief of staff Keith Schembri. He controversially ensured the permit issued for the former ITS site in Pembroke by hiring a private plane and bringing a board member to vote for the project.

In 2017, Buttigieg was removed from the Planning Authority after a falling out with his former ally, Joseph Portelli. He subsequently worked as a principal consultant for developer Michael Stivala, the President of the Malta Developers Association, alongside former prime minister Joseph Muscat.

Following the announcement of Buttigieg’s unexpected return to the Planning Authority, Carmel Cacopardo, representing ADPD – The Green Party, called on the Standards Commissioner to investigate Buttigieg’s potential conflicts of interest.