To this day, Carlo Stivala continues to profit from the illegal occupation of public land and the illegal structures he has erected on it.

Two weeks ago, Carlo Stivala, a notorious bully developer who repeatedly defies the law for his own private gain, took over the pavement and road outside his partially illegally built hotel in Sliema. Following intense public pressure, the illegal awning was removed. Yet the occupation of public space continued unabated and has, in fact, intensified.

Over the past two weeks, all we have heard from the authorities and the Minister are excuses and attempts to hide behind ineffective procedures to avoid taking action. These include enforcement and eviction orders issued by the Planning Authority and the Lands Authority. Both authorities have a dismal track record of allowing illegalities to persist indefinitely, particularly when those responsible are wealthy and powerful individuals.

The reality on the ground is clear: Carlo Stivala’s illegal occupation of public land continues, and he continues to profit from it with impunity. This is emblematic of much wider problems: the rampant occupation of public spaces by commercial establishments, whether legal or illegal, and the authorities’ complete failure to enforce lands, planning and environmental laws.

It is deeply ironic that the Planning Minister is using legal procedures as an excuse for inaction when it is the Government itself that is responsible for putting these procedures in place. In April, when the Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign identified enforcement reform as one of four areas requiring urgent action, the Government responded with deafening silence.

The situation is unjust by design, as Government seeks to disempower the people, deprive them of their rights, and give all power to developers. So dire is the situation that a proven corrupt PA boss, Johann Buttigieg, who was caught red-handed conspiring with developers, was kept in place notwithstanding the overwhelming public evidence against him.

Over the years, residents and organisations have faced repeated and shameful stonewalling whenever they have sought information about the occupation of public spaces. Their concerns have been dismissed, their requests ignored, and their demands for basic respect treated with contempt. Carlo Stivala’s shameless illegality is simply rubbing salt into the wound.

If this illegal occupation is not brought to an immediate end, the people will have no choice but to defend what is rightfully theirs. Public land belongs to the public, not to developers who believe they can flout the law for their own profit while the authorities stand idly by.

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Carlo Stivala jibqa’ jagħmel il-qligħ mill-okkupazzjoni illegali ta’ art pubblika

Sal-lum, Carlo Stivala għadu jibbenefika mill-okkupazzjoni illegali ta’ art pubblika u mill-istrutturi illegali li bena fuqha.

Ġimagħtejn ilu, Carlo Stivala, magħruf bħala żviluppatur buli li ripetutament jikser il-liġi għall-gwadann personali, ħataf il-bankina u t-triq ta’ quddiem il-lukanda tiegħu f’Tas-Sliema, li parti minnha nbniet illegalment. Wara pressjoni pubblika qawwija, tneħħiet it-tinda illegali. Madankollu, l-okkupazzjoni tal-ispazju pubbliku kompliet bla waqfien u, fil-fatt, kompliet tiżdied.

Matul dawn l-aħħar ġimagħtejn, kulma smajna mill-awtoritajiet u mill-Ministru kienu skużi u tentattivi biex jinħbew wara proċeduri ineffettivi ħalli jevitaw li jieħdu azzjoni. Fost dawn hemm ordnijiet ta’ infurzar u ta’ żgumbrament mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u mill-Awtorità tal-Artijiet. Iż-żewġ awtoritajiet għandhom rekord diżastruż li jħallu l-illegalitajiet għaddejjin għal żmien indefinit, partikolarment meta dawk responsabbli jkunu individwi sinjuri u b’saħħithom.

Ir-realtà fuq il-post hija ċara: l-okkupazzjoni illegali ta’ art pubblika minn Carlo Stivala għadha għaddejja, u hu għadu jagħmel profitt minnha b’impunità. Dan huwa sintomatiku ta’ problemi ferm usa’: l-okkupazzjoni sfrenata ta’ spazji pubbliċi minn stabbilimenti kummerċjali, kemm jekk legali kif ukoll jekk illegali, u l-falliment totali tal-awtoritajiet li jinfurzaw il-liġijiet dwar l-artijiet, l-ippjanar u l-ambjent.

Huwa ironiku ferm li l-Ministru għall-Ippjanar qed juża l-proċeduri legali bħala skuża għan-nuqqas ta’ azzjoni, meta huwa proprju l-Gvern li huwa responsabbli li jistabbilixxi dawn il-proċeduri. F’April, meta l-kampanja Ġustizzja għal Artna identifikat ir-riforma tal-infurzar bħala waħda minn erba’ oqsma li jeħtieġu azzjoni urġenti, il-Gvern wieġeb b’silenzju jtarrax.

Is-sitwazzjoni hija inġusta għal t’apposta, hekk kif il-Gvern ifittex li jneħħi s-setgħa minn idejn il-poplu, iċaħħdu mid-drittijiet tiegħu u jagħti s-setgħa kollha lill-iżviluppaturi. Is-sitwazzjoni hija tant gravi li Johann Buttigieg, il-kap korrott tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li nqabad fil-fatt jikkonfoffa mal-iżviluppaturi, inżamm fil-kariga minkejja l-evidenza pubblika qawwija kontrih.

Matul is-snin, ir-residenti u l-organizzazzjonijiet iffaċċjaw ripetutament ostakli tal-mistħija kull darba li ppruvaw jiksbu informazzjoni dwar l-okkupazzjoni tal-ispazji pubbliċi. It-tħassib u l-proposti tagħhom ġew injorati, u t-talbiet tagħhom għal rispett bażiku ġew trattati b’disprezz. L-illegalità bla mistħija ta’ Carlo Stivala hija melħ fuq din il-ferita miftuħa.

Jekk din l-okkupazzjoni illegali ma tintemmx minnufih, il-poplu ma jkollux għażla oħra ħlief li jiddefendi dak li huwa tiegħu bi dritt. L-art pubblika hija tal-poplu, mhux tal-iżviluppaturi li jaħsbu li jistgħu jiksru l-liġi għall-profitt tagħhom stess filwaqt li l-awtoritajiet jibqgħu b’idejhom fuq żaqqhom.