Midi chief executive resigns just days after ‘frank’ interview
Midi CEO resigns, days after Albert Mizzi admits having ‘second thoughts’ on Tigné Point architectural style.
The chief executive of Midi plc, Benjamin Muscat, has tendered his resignation just days after Midi chairman Albert Mizzi questioned the architectural style of their flagship property, Tigné Point.
Mizzi admitted in an interview to The Times that he was having "second thoughts" about the way the conglomeration of luxury apartments on Tigné Point looked from Valletta.
"As an individual I am not totally happy with it. But I employed some of the best architects in Malta to work on it and in truth I doubt there could be any architectural style that would fit in without being criticised. These things need time and time will be the ultimate judge," Mizzi said.
Muscat, 57, denied his resignation was related to Mizzi's comments. "It's time to move on," he said in comments to The Times. Muscat was employed at Midi plc in 1999.
As recently as January, Midi was given the green light by the Malta Environmental and Planning Authority for the construction of a tower block and two 14-storey residential towers for Tigné Point, to the consternation of NGOs like Flimkien ghal-Ambjent Ahjar, the Sliema Residents Association, and Alternattiva Demokratika.
"We're changing plans as we go along, due to environmental considerations. We had permission to build a tower block, which we've now dropped. "If we didn't care about the environment we wouldn't have removed it because it's in the deed," Mizzi said in the interview.
Midi plc's development on Tigné has generally benefited from a series of concessions on its environmental impact.
In 2009, Midi refused to pay MEPA a €4.5 million bill for the disposal of construction waste at sea between 2001 and 2006. It turns out that way back in 2001, Midi had requested an exemption from paying the disposal-at-sea fees, and was granted a concession by being charged cheaper landfill dumping rates. The bill was subsequently reduced to €1.2 million.