PN insist lands granted to Gaffarena were under-valued

Land parcels granted by the government to Mark Gaffarena as part of a controversial expropriation deal were under-valued, shadow justice minister Jason Azzopardi said.

As part of the deal, Gaffarena was granted two adjacent land parcels at White Rocks, one of which is also adjacent to a property that Gaffarena already owns. Azzopardi pointed out that the government had valued the two land parcels at €260,000 and €70,000 while independent architects had later valued them at €500,000 and €150,000 respectively.

“The fact that these two land parcels were adjacent to each other increases their value further,” Azzopardi told a press conference at White Rocks.

Earlier this year, the government expropriated half a property in Old Mint Street, Valletta from Mark Gaffarena. The building houses the government offices of the Building Industry Consultative Council.

In January this year, the government paid Gaffarena €822,500 for a quarter of the property that he had bought in December 2007. A month later, Gaffarena bought another quarter of the property for €139,762, which the government subsequently expropriated for another €822,500 in April.

The money was paid in cash and lands that were of strategic and commercial importance to Gaffarena- land parcels at White Rocks, Ta’ Kandja, Handaq, Zebbug, and a property in Triq Manwel Dimech, Sliema.

Shadow environment minister Marthese Portelli pointed out that in total Gaffarena was granted 5,400 metres square in land- equivalent to land seven times as large as the Ta’ Qali football pitch.

“These land parcels were obviously chosen specifically,” she said, while questioning why the government paid so much money to expropriate half the property in the first place, given that the BICC could easily operate from a cheaper location.

The Opposition have asked the Auditor General to investigate the expropriation, in particular to ascertain whether Gaffarena had chosen the land parcels himself. The government have requested a similar investigation by the Internal Audit and Investigations Department. The PN have cast doubt over this second investigation, arguing that it falls directly under the Office of the Prime Minister and responses to Cabinet and therefore constitutes “Castille investigating Castille”.

“Muscat told Parliament this week that he has questions about the Gaffarena case,” Opposition MP Ryan Callus said. “He must realize that he is no longer a Super One journalist, but a Prime Minister who is directly responsible for the Lands Department. His job is to provide answers, not ask questions.”