Three environmental organisations have called on the planning authority to revoke a development permit given to Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg for a property in Rabat and on Dr Borg to resign.

They made their call following the publication of a report by the Malta Independent on Sunday in which the Environment and Planning Commissioner highlighted the “devious manner” in which Dr Borg applied for the permit.

Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Ramblers and Friends of the Earth said Dr Borg’s position was untenable.

The report found that the authority’s case officer report contained “a series of omissions” that “cannot be put down to human error but point to a deliberate attempt to remove… the one possible reason – and a very strong one – for refusing the proposal, thereby facilitating its approval”. 

The organisations called for the resignation of Malta Environment and Planning Authority CEO Johann Buttigieg over his improper involvement in the Zonqor AUM site choice, which was “much reinforced by this case”.

The organisations condemned the authority’s justification of Dr Borg’s permit saying it “continues to misinform”.

They also called on the authority and the Office of the Prime Minister  to take immediate and ongoing measures to weed out such corrupt manipulations and put into effect systems to ensure accountability and transparency to regain respect from both the public and the law-abiding workforce within the authority.

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