Fortina concession to be discussed in parliament after committee shoots down transfer

A concession to transfer reclaimed land to the Fortina Group to expand its lido will be discussed in parliament after the National Audit Office committee voted against the transfer on Monday.

In a parliamentary committee session on Monday, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri requested approval for the transfer of public land to Fortina, against a €70,000 fine for the illegal occupation of the same land.

The Opposition MPs on the committee voted against the transfer, while the Labour MPs voted in favour, forcing a debate in plenary on the transfer.

Nationalist MP Darren Carabott raised concerns that endorsing this transfer would set a precedent of accepting illegal occupation of public land followed by post facto approval.

Carabott questioned the purpose of discussing the matter in parliament when the decision to transfer the land has already been made.

The government initially presented a resolution in February to transfer 504 square metres of public land to Fortina, including areas for the lido itself and a passage to maintain public access to the shore.

However, the Opposition objected during the parliamentary committee stage, expressing concerns that the area, popular among beach-goers, should not be converted into a marina as it would reduce the bathing space and harm the environment.

Schembri assured the committee that the pontoons will be relocated away from the swimmers' zone. He also stated that the €70,000 fine will address the illegal occupation of the lido land, with the penalty being retroactively applied since the Planning Authority issued the permit for the new lido in 2020.

Schembri also confirmed that Fortina had already occupied all 504 square metres of land without possessing any legal title. However, he was unsure as to whether the lido has been opened to the public.

Opposition MP Graham Bencini said that the lido has been in operation since June, referring to social media posts where Fortina Director Michael Zammit Tabona proudly declares its opening on June 21.

Schembri argued that the lido already existed and Fortina expedited the expansion into the sea. According to Schembri, these works were authorised by a Planning Authority permit.

Robert Vella, CEO of the Lands Authority, confirmed that Fortina's works were carried out illegally without legal title.

Vella said that Fortina is being charged backdated rent for the unlawful occupation, insisting that charging retroactive rent for illegally occupied land is an established practice applied in other cases.

Vella acknowledged that the lido's construction was completed while the resolution to transfer land title was still pending.

However, he said that the Lands Authority's role does not include enforcement and enforcement actions must be pursued through legal means.