A story about a Nationalist MP who applied to build a house in a rural Outside Development Zone, published by Labour's official organ Kullħadd, may have come back to haunt Labour following the approval of a planning application submitted by Transport Minister Ian Borg.

In February 2017, Labour published a front page story accusing Toni Bezzina of wanting to “ruin ODZ land” to build his villa with a pool in a protected rural area under the Mdina bastions.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat spoke about the “scandal” during his traditional Sunday political speech, in which he accused the PN of being hypocritical over the environment.

The article in Kullħadd about Toni Bezzina’s development application.

Eventually, Mr Bezzina dropped the application after being summoned by then PN leader Simon Busuttil. The PN had said that despite the fact that Mr Bezzina was within his rights as a citizen, the PN wanted to lead by example and did not want its MPs to build on ODZ land.

Asked to state its position over a similar permit issued by the Planning Authority to Dr Borg – to turn an ODZ field into a swimming pool and an outside recreational area in the rural setting in Santa Katarina, limits of Rabat - Labour spokesperson Aleander Balzan insisted the two cases were different.

He said that while in the case of Mr Bezzina the application to build on ODZ land went against PA policy, Dr Borg’s application was acceptable.

"Mr Bezzina wanted to construct a new residence within an area located outside the development zone which does not qualify as a rural settlement," argued Mr Balzan, who was the author of the Kullħadd article.

According to Mr Balzan, the PN MP “also gave incorrect information in order to qualify under a planning policy to try to obtain a permit” and used his wife’s name to file an application “hoping that his application would not be noticed”.

Asked why the party did not condemn Dr Borg’s similar permit, if Mr Bezzina’s application was so wrong for Labour, Mr Balzan said the minister’s development was different.

Read: PA ignores objections and approves minister’s pool

He said Dr Borg's permit to turn an ODZ field into a pool and recreational area “is within the curtilage of an existing residence located within a rural settlement and already covered by the relative permits”.

“Clearly,” Mr Balzan insisted, “it follows that the mentioned cases are regulated by different policy parameters and material considerations.”

For the PN’s environment spokesman, Jason Azzopardi, this case illustrates the double standards of the Labour Party.

“We cannot forget the fake horror of the PL's media when in the previous legislature the PN MP had so much as dared to apply to be authorised to rehabilitate two small rooms in an ODZ land, owned by him,” he said.

“Toni Bezzina was subjected to a vicious character assassination by the Labour Party, with weeks on end of vilification, even after he had abided by Dr Busuttil’s directive to withdraw his application. The difference in treatment now with regards to Transport Minister Borg’s case beggars belief.”

Dr Azzopardi said this was “another case showing how Prime Minster Muscat, seriously compromised, cannot take any action against any of his ministers as he knows they know about his misdeeds.”

The difference in treatment beggars belief

Planning Authority sources told The Sunday Times of Malta that in both cases, there could be arguments in favour and against the development applications.

“What is sure is that both Mr Bezzina and Dr Borg did nothing wrong to apply for a permit as they had every right. The problem is that in Malta everything is turned into a political football and inconsistencies are glaring.”

Last Tuesday, despite objections from NGOs and a resident arguing that Dr Borg’s application was against policy, the Planning Authority gave the green light.

In an open session, Development Commission chairperson Elizabeth Ellul ignored oral submissions made by resident Noel Ciantar, that the Planning Authority was basing its decision on the wrong policy.

This is not the first time that Dr Borg’s private development in Santa Katerina has made it to the news.

In 2014, the Planning Authority approved the construction of an ODZ dwelling for Dr Borg despite several objections that this was not permissible.

An investigation carried out by the Ombudsman later concluded that the permit was “a grave error” and recommended a review. It also revealed that Dr Borg had used another person to apply in order to keep his ownership under wraps.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, at the time responsible for the Planning Authority, ignored the Ombudsman’s request and Dr Borg forged ahead with his plans. The latest permit to obtain a further expansion to his dwelling was based on the first ‘erroneous’ permit.