Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo’s family, including his father Joseph, have been served with an official enforcement notice by the Planning Authority regarding an illegal car park in Mellieħa, following years of impunity and thousands of euros in profit being made.
A large plot of agricultural land on Mellieħa’s Marfa Road, opposite the Ghadira promenade, has been functioning as a car park, run by the minister’s father and brothers, David and Godfrey. Over the years, many complaints have been made to the authorities by neighbours and local tourism operators over the sites’ use as a car park and storage for boats and scrap material.
In addition, the family also carried out illegal works on the ODZ plot of land, including knocking down walls to create new entrances for vehicles, installing large concrete boulders to block other areas, and storing flammable tyres.
Aside from the fact the site is illegal and carries a risk due to the improper storage of flammable items, locals also complained it was an eyesore in a prime tourist area.
Hundreds of vehicles use the car park daily, each paying €5 per day. This would tally up to tens of thousands of euros throughout the summer.
Despite the abuse continuing for years, it took until October 2023 for the Planning Authority to issue an enforcement order. The order lists the infringement as “change of use from agricultural land to parking area, boat storage, creation of two new accesses through the removal of the boundary walls, placing of blocks, installation of a new gate and storage of tyres.”
A €50 fine will be payable for each day of noncompliance with the order.
The enforcement order issued by the PA this week
The Bartolos have not yet cleared the site and are still allowing cars to be parked illegally after paying the fee, which is also illegal.
Under the law, the authority is obliged to take action if the abuse continues, but this has not happened by the time of publication.
The company which operates the illegal activity is listed as Gerbulin Investments Ltd. While the minister is not listed as involved in the carpark or the company, Gilbert, who is also an architect, is listed as a contravener.
Another contravener is listed as Chairperson of the Lands Authority, John Vassallo. While it is unknown if the plot is public land, his inclusion on the notice suggests this could be the case.
In recent months, the demand for parking spaces in the area has increased due to work on the Mellieħa promenade led by the minister. This has restricted the already limited on-road parking spaces, increasing demand for the illegal site.
Until becoming a member of the government’s executive in 2020, the minister represented the Labour Party government on the main board of the Planning Authority.
Through an application filed by his brother Gilbert in 2020 (PA08247/20), the minister’s father applied to turn the land into an official car park. While ERA had strangely given its approval, the Planning Authority turned down the request, as it went against all policies for the area.
But this did not stop them from continuing with the plan, and meanwhile, Clayton became tourism minister.
Apart from the illegal car park, the minister’s father is also involved in other tourism-related businesses, including ‘Oh Yes Malta’, which ferries tourists from Mellieħa to Comino’s Blue Lagoon.
The company, which shares a jetty with Mellieħa’s Blu Beach Club, provides several water sports-based facilities and cruises around Comino.
A management plan of Comino, promised by the minister years ago, which could cap the number of visitors to the ecologically sensitive island, has been postponed for many years.
Total anarchy reigns supreme. The PL’s code of conduct.
The €50 daily, if ever paid is nonsense. Add a few zeros to the fine ensuring that this is collected, also add a case in Court to enforce the stop order and ensure that all fines and Court expenses are recovered.
The Minister for Tourism should be made to resign immediately.
Wishful thinking, probably. Somehow this criminal activity will be continue unabated.
The rule of law in Malta works in very mysterious ways.
True then a hawker I know who was passing through a breakdown and was under care was charged a hefty three figure sum for not giving a 5cents chit when he had already packed his things to return home The person who went to buy at the last moment went there to charge him only as he had seen he had packed all. The small fry get it always though but the top pigs are sheltered and this is shameful. 50 euro what a joke ( 5x ten cars) the extra money is all illegal profit how nice , Is this land not public ?
1. The penalty for the illegality should be backdated to the year when the infringement started.
2. The FIAU should investigate whether a VAT receipt was/is being issued to those using the park.
3. The Director of Revenue should investigate whether the income earned was declared in the income tax returns. If not, a best assessment should be issued together with the relative non compliance fine.
4. The Minister should be referred to the Commissioner for Standards in respect of any breach of ethics for not declaring conflicts of interests in allowing/not reporting the illegal use of the land.
Inti qed taghmel xoghol il kummissarju tal-pulizija, siehbi.
it should be like this according to the law, but it will never happen anyway, this is the island of impunity, not even murders are punished, let alone illegal parking
Because “this is how we do it”
50 euros penalty per day? U tghid mhux se jzarma u jobdikhom Slaten tal PA?!! Ekwivalent ghal 10 karozzi ipparkjati kulljum. U x ma jghamlu li jridu. U x ma jirredikolawx lill PA in -nies. U kemm tahsbu li l-poplu huwa iblagh?
Iblah m’ huwiex, Imma korrotti kemm trid. Il-bniedem hekk in-natura, ghalhekk irid min jikkontrollah. Imma meta jara ezempju hazin, minn kull awtorita, anki religjuza mixtrija, johloq kmandamenti godda, ghax imberkin🙏(John)
Hypothetically I would pay the daily fine till kingdom comes. In this country crime pays, that is if you are close to the king and his princes and knights and the inner circle.