Owner of Marsaskala kiosk refuses to say whether taxpayers picked up the tab for his illegalities

Amid an information blackout about ongoing promenade works in Marsaskala, the owner of Tiffany’s Kiosk refused to provide information about whether longstanding illegalities on his site were addressed at his own expense or whether they were paid for by the taxpayer.

Shawn Farrell, the owner of the kiosk, refused to answer simple questions about whether the fines he owes to the Planning Authority (PA) were paid and whether the authorities requested any additional payment to remove tiling that he had illegally installed. The pavement near Tiffany’s has now been extended and refurbished.

“You don’t even know what you’re talking about. I have no comment to make,” Farrell said when reached for comment, declining to address questions.

According to publicly available planning documents, Farrell installed an enclosed tent structure on the right-hand side of the kiosk, a tent and sign fixed on the kiosk’s facade, two gazebos on the left-hand side, and used public land to place tables, chairs, and other ancillary items on the left-hand side and back of the kiosk – without the necessary permits. Fines on these illegalities remain unpaid.

Last year, Farrell successfully applied to sanction the site’s illegalities, on the condition that they would be removed at the owner’s expense. Despite a recommendation for refusal, the sanctioning approval was issued, and some of the illegalities remained. His architect, Alistair Avallone, is a known associate of disgraced former housing minister Roderick Galdes.

In March, the owner of the kiosk openly defied the PA’s efforts, saying he was “happy” to pay fines rather than remove the illegalities, arguing that the furniture he placed outside his kiosk was removable and therefore did not constitute a permanent structure.

Marsaskala Residents’ Network (MRN) spent years reporting the ongoing abuse of public land on the site, which is located in one of the best parts of the promenade, just a few metres away from Marsaskala’s church.

“MRN raised formal concerns about the site’s inconsistent planning history, only to be advised that any objections should be pursued through an appeal or a request for revocation,” a spokesperson for MRN said.

“As the appeal deadline approached, and while works related to the Marsaskala regeneration project were being carried out by Infrastructure Malta, the area in question was dug up to remove the illegally installed tiling, after which, it was extended and refurbished,” the spokesperson added.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bonett has been extremely cagey about disclosing any details of the promenade works, including by outright refusing to address an FOI request filed by The Shift.

Despite Bonett’s efforts to enforce radio silence, it quickly became apparent that major contractors with close ties to the Labour Party were directly commissioned to carry out these works without any competitive procedures.

Farrell’s refusal to respond to The Shift’s questions, coupled with the government’s attempts to avoid any kind of information from leaking out, effectively means that residents have been left completely in the dark, with the authorities refusing to respond to even the most basic query about who paid for refurbishment works that just so happen to benefit a kiosk with a history of illegalities.

“The MRN sought clarification as to whether these works were financed by the operator or through public funds, but no response has been provided to date. Repeated requests by the MRN for transparency regarding the regeneration project plans have gone unanswered by both the relevant authorities and the ministry,” the spokesperson said, adding that “requesting access to such information is a fundamental right, and should not be dismissed under the narrative that residents and civil society are being unreasonable in seeking accountability and transparency.”