The Ombudsman has opened an investigation into the decision to hire a private jet to ferry a Planning Authority board member from Sicily for a vote on the controversial db Group City Centre project.

The investigation came after a complaint by former Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola, who asked the Ombudsman to examine whether the decision was a case of maladministration and whether it was discriminatory towards applications and objectors in other cases when no such measures were taken.

Prof. Cassola also asked the Ombudsman to establish whether the PA had ever previously commissioned private jet travel for its board members and officials, as well as the instances in which this was done and the cost to the public exchequer.

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The PA confirmed it paid €8,750 to fly board member Jacqueline Gili from and back to Sicily, where she was on a family holiday, to attend a hearing on the 38-storey St George’s Bay tower on September 20. Ms Gili voted in favour of the application.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has criticised the move, which he said he was not informed of, and Opposition leader Adrian Delia has called for an independent inquiry, while Planning Board chairman Vince Cassar has said the decision was “unprecedented” and that there was no reason for every board member to be present.

PA executive chairman Johann Buttigieg has defended his decision to hire the jet, which he said was done to avoid criticism of the vote if any board members were not present, but said it would not be repeated once it had been made clear there was no political backing.