REVEALED – Ta’ Dirjanu mounts second illegal batching plant as Kerċem operations continue

A new illegal tarmac batching plant linked to Gozitan developer Mark Agius, known as Ta’ Dirjanu, has been assembled in broad daylight in Gozo without a planning permit, sources have told The Shift. Meanwhile, his unauthorised concrete plant in Kerċem continues operating.

The new installation has been taking shape over the past month at Gatt Tarmac’s compound in Triq il-Qala, Għajnsielem, where the company already operates a separate, licensed tarmac plant.

The illegal assembly of this second plant is widely known in Gozo, including to the authorities and the Planning Authority, yet no action has been taken to stop it.

The Planning Authority has not answered questions about the development’s planning status or what action it is taking to stop the blatant illegality. No application has been filed with the authority, while ERA, whose approval would also be required, has yet to take action.

According to information verified by The Shift, the equipment, which has been in storage in Gozo since 2024, has been undergoing assembly for several weeks, openly and in daylight. Sources attribute the operation to Agius and his company, Prax Ltd.

Pictures supplied to The Shift show a crane lifting equipment beside a substantial industrial installation.

The location raises questions about the relationship between Agius’s business and Gatt Tarmac, owned by Mario Gatt.

Although competitors in construction materials, Prax, the company used by Agius, and Gatt Tarmac are working together on the multi-million-euro reconstruction of the road between Victoria and Marsalforn. The project is substantially behind its completion schedule.

It remains unclear why Gatt is allowing a competing operation to be installed illegally within his compound, or what agreement governs the arrangement.

Kerċem plant remains operational

The Għajnsielem installation would be the second unauthorised batching plant associated with Agius, according to information received by The Shift.

The first, a concrete batching plant established in 2019 in a government-owned quarry in Kerċem, has continued operating despite enforcement notices and repeated reports about its supply of material to public projects.

Agius initially operated that business alongside Joseph Portelli and Daniel Refalo through Prax Concrete.

In September, The Shift reported that Portelli and Refalo had withdrawn, leaving Agius in control through Joseph Agius and Sons Gozo Limited. Portelli’s spokesman confirmed his departure, describing it as a private commercial decision.

The ownership change did not end the plant’s unauthorised operations.

The Shift previously documented Prax trucks supplying concrete to the sports complex in Victoria and reported deliveries from Kerċem to the Marsalforn roadworks.

The Gozo Ministry initially disputed the latter, saying the concrete came from a joint-venture partner — Gatt Tarmac — with a licensed plant.

Following further reporting, project architect William Lewis, Labour’s organising secretary, confirmed that the contractor had been reminded of its obligations and the authorities asked to verify its position.

The Shift is informed that tests have already commenced on the new illegal tarmac plant, with Agius planning to start production without a permit in the coming days.