James Piscopo appointed Lands Authority CEO

James Piscopo has been appointed chief executive of the Lands Authority after five years at the helm of the transport regulator.

The former Labour Party CEO had been touted for the post along with Planning Authority executive chairperson Johann Buttigieg. In Parliament, Transport Minister Ian Borg had later said Buttigieg will stay put at the PA.

MaltaToday had reported that Piscopo, a close friend of Joseph Muscat, was encouraged to move to the Lands Authority by the Prime Minister and Borg.

The Transport Authority, the Lands Authority and the Planning Authority all fall within Borg's remit.

James Piscopo posted on Facebook about his new appointment

Sources have told this news portal that the government wanted someone to usher in change at the authority, which was only born as a distinct entity two years ago in the wake of the Gaffarena scandal.

Piscopo has been credited with turning around the public transport fiasco inherited by the Labour government in 2013 and ensuring Transport Malta used EU funds to the full to complete road projects like the Coast Road and the Kappara Junction.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, the Transport Ministry announced Piscopo’s appointment as from 1 July.

The authority had issued a public call on 1 June after the resignation of its former CEO, Carlo Mifsud.

The Lands Authority is chaired by former judge Lino Farrugia Sacco.

The ministry said Piscopo will be presenting his resignation to the board of Transport Malta in the coming days.

Concurrently, the deputy chairman of Transport Malta, Kevin Farrugia, will be assuming the chairmanship position, until, the appointment of a new chairman.

A former Air Malta employee, Piscopo was appointed CEO of the PL after Muscat became leader in 2008. The role was created by Muscat in a shakeup of the party structures.

Piscopo helped modernise the party’s administrative and financial set up, before being appointed as executive chairman at TM shortly after the 2013 election.