Activists who defaced a pool that was built illegally in Qala by developer Joseph Portelli were slammed by the Malta Development Association on Monday for "taking the law into their hands".

The protest was held on Saturday when the activists lit flares and sprayed paint on the walls as they chanted “Mill Qala sas-Sannat, il-liġi għal Allat [From Qala to Sannat, laws are for the Gods] and Tiżfnu għad-daqqa tal-iżviluppaturi [You dance to the tune of developers].

Portelli excavated the pool site without a permit. Despite having breached the law, the Planning Authority and its appeals tribunal, the EPRT, both approved the ODZ development.

Objectors persisted and in March, a court revoked the permit the PA had granted Portelli. But by then Portelli had already built the swimming pool, as planning laws allow developers to proceed with works while appeals processes are ongoing.

In its statement on Monday, the MDA said that while it acknowledged the right to protest, this did not mean that one could take the law into his own hands with actions that breached public order, such as when property was infiltrated and vandalised.

Saturday's actions reflected serious inconsistency by the lobby group, which alleged illegality of the site while breaching the law itself, the MDA said.

"It is unacceptable for individuals to take the law into their own hands and it should be the authorities who act and penalise such acts."

The association said it acknowledged shortcomings in the planning system and it continued to hold that reforms should be carried out to stop abuse, not least by developers who gave the industry a bad name.

Discussion on change should be held within the parameters of the law through constructive dialogue, the MDA said, adding that it was ready to take an active part in the process.