New PA chair cleared following parliamentary grilling

Accountant Emanuel Camilleri has been approved as the new chair of the Planning Authority board following a parliamentary grilling on Wednesday.

Camilleri appeared before the Public Appointments Committee, which approved his nomination with four votes in favour and three against. Opposition members Adrian Delia, Karol Aquilina and Julie Zahra voted against.

Camilleri was the second person nominated to the post by Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi after the first nominee’s appointment was revoked when he admitted having failed to report a case of attempted corruption several years back.

Camilleri said he had a “good opinion of the Planning Authority” but was reluctant to express his view on whether Malta was overdeveloped or not.

Grilled by Delia and Aquilina on the overdevelopment question, Camilleri simply refused to voice his opinion.

Open mind and no answers

“I have to keep an open mind and treat each application on its own merits. What I can say is that we need more open spaces. There needs to be balance between development, economic growth and the environment,” Camilleri replied.

Asked whether this balance has been achieved, Camilleri insisted it would be presumptuous of him to reply. “We need to have a study to determine whether this balance has been achieved,” Camilleri said.
He was equally non-committal when asked whether he agreed with more high-rise buildings.

“It is not what I believe. I have an open mind. You have to look at the application. We have to recognise this country’s limitations. One has to look at the application and whether the development brief allows it or not. I will prejudge future applications if I express my personal view,” Camilleri insisted, adding that his role was not to set policy.
Asked specifically about the DB Group’s project in Pembroke to construct two residential towers, Camilleri refused to answer. “I don’t have the files in front of me and it would be presumptuous and irresponsible to answer on an application without looking at the file.”

No idea of rural policy

Aquilina then asked him about the rural policy and design guidance but Camilleri admitted he knew nothing about them.

Asked what he thought is the biggest defect of PA today, Camilleri said he was not part of the authority yet.

“The SPED [overarching planning policy] seems a good plan… I read stories like others in the press but I question how reliable this information is,” he replied.

Cat and mouse

Camilleri, who headed the Privatisation Unit, a government entity, until last month, played cat and mouse with Opposition members when asked on particular episodes from his past.

He initially claimed he could not remember when asked whether former economy minister Chris Cardona had called him up in April 2014 and ordered him to suspend the work of a subcommittee of the Privatisation Unit run by an ex-judge.

“I cannot remember,” Camilleri replied to a question from Karol Aquilina.

When the PN MP elaborated further that the subcommittee was dealing with the privatisation of the casino, Camilleri recalled that it was suspended because one of the members had a conflict of interest.

Camilleri also could not recall whether on Saturday 5 April 2014, he had received a phone call from Edward Zammit Lewis regarding the privatisation process.

“No. I cannot recall. I can’t exclude he called me but I cannot recall. What I can say is that no minister has ever interfered in my work,” Camilleri said.

When asked whether there are any accusations against him that he should report to the parliamentary committee, Camilleri mentioned that there had been a claim that he lied under oath in a case filed by a casino operator against the Privatisation Unit but eventually was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Grilled on FTS

Camilleri was also grilled on his two-year stint as chair of the Foundation for Tomorrow Schools.

He told MPs that soon after taking up the post he was informed of a case of abuse by an employee. “I instructed then CEO Philip Rizzo to put the person on forced leave, take all measures to protect the interests of government and the FTS, and report everything to the police,” Camilleri said, adding that the police did take action.

Aquilina asked Camilleri whether it was true that he had refused to go to the police with the case. “It’s not true. I have documented proof that it was Rizzo who wanted to delay the police procedure because it would impact the construction of a school. I insisted that he should go to police with the case.”

Rizzo eventually resigned from the FTS and Camilleri had asked for his appointment not be to be renewed.

But when asked whether he had terminated the employment of somebody else or whether another top official had left at the same time, Camilleri said he could not remember and asked Aquilina to indicate the name. 

Adrian Delia pressed Camilleri: “Do you remember or not? How come you remember only when a name is suggested?”

Camilleri replied: “You have to indicate to me the names. Because I can’t reply. I’m not in court.”
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, one of the government MPs on the committee, hit out at the Opposition MPs, accusing them of embarking on a fishing expedition.

The Public Appointments Committee is made up of government MPs Chris Agius, who serves as chair, Alison Zerafa Civelli, Naomi Cachia and Clayton Bartolo, and for the Opposition Adrian Delia, Karol Aquilina and Julie Zahra.