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Karl Schembri
Sleeping has never been that expensive but when it’s on Bertu Mizzi’s land then it will run into thousands.
Boathouse owners in Santa Marija Estate, Mellieha, were asked to pay Lm10,000 each by millionaire businessman Bertu Mizzi so that they could sleep in their property by the sea.
Around 200 boathouse owners received the “offer” based on their contract with Cenmed Ltd – owned by Mizzi – which specifically precludes them from sleeping in their seaside properties.
To amend the contracts so that they could sleep there, Mizzi made an offer similar to villa owners in the same estate, who were asked to pay Lm15,000 so that they could build more on their plots.
Boathouse owners refused to pay Lm10,000, arguing it was a disproportionate figure when compared to the offer made to those owning villas, but they accepted to pay a reduced bill at Lm3,000.
One boathouse owner said: “There wasn’t much we could do. We broke the contract so we had to pay. I think none of us is complaining, we knew we couldn’t sleep there so we’ve made this one-off payment to change the conditions.”
In the same estate, villa owners who were originally bound to build only 20 per cent of each plot in detached villas are now being granted permission by Mizzi to build more against a Lm15,000 fee.
But despite his easy income, Mizzi is still refusing to build and maintain the roads in his estate, despite a court ruling and an appeals court confirming his responsibility.
kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt
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